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tihmvy  of  Che  Cheologicd  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
ROBERT  ELLIOTT  SPEER 

BV  1085  .S86  1921 
Ober ,  Frank  W. , 
James  Stokes,  pioneer  of 
Young  men's  Christian     I 


JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 


^'Wheji  I  teas  a  young  man  I  counted  the  years  that  I 
might  live  and  tvhat  I  might  accomplish  in  those  years 
for  my  felloiomen.  I  decided  that  through  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  I  might  do  the  most  for 
the  Church  of  Christ  and  through  it  I  might  find  the 
largest  opportunity  for  service.  With  Paul  I  said, 
'This  one  thing  I  do,'  and  I  have  devoted  myself  to  the 
young  men  of  Europe.  Uniting  on  the  Paris  Basis 
adopted  in  1855,  the  young  men  of  the  world  got  to- 
gether and  together  have  done  great  things.  Anything 
ivhich  ivill  pull  them  apart  will  wrong  the  loork  and 
the  cause  of  Christ." 


:^^- 


JAMES  STOK 


Pioneer  of  Young  Men's 
Christian  Associations 


By 

HIS  ASSOCIATES 

In  More  Than  Half  a  Century  of 

World  Service  to  Young  Men 

X 

FRANK  W.  ODER,  Editor 


"My  specialty  has  been  rather  that  of  a 
pioneer  .  .  .  When  the  work  u-aa  estab- 
lished I  have  handed  it  over  to  others." 


ASSOCIATION    PRESS 

New    York:    347   Madison     Avenue 
1921 


Copyright,  1921.  by 

The  International  Committee  of 

YoiJNG  Men's  Christian  Associations 


Printed  in  Ike  United  States  of  America. 


To  xnK  Memory  of 
MRS.  JAMES  STOKES 

WnO  FOn  FIFTEEN  YEAHS,  WITH  UNFALTERING  FAITH, 
SUSTAINED  UER  HUSBAND  IN  HIS  PURPOSE  TO  FULFILL  TO 
THE  UTMOST  A  LIFE  CONSECRATED  TO  HIS  LoRD  AND  THE 
SERVICE    OF    YOUNG  MEN    OF    AMERICA    AND    EuROPE,    THIS 

STORY  OF  A  Christian  pioneer  layman  is,  with  sincere 

APPRECIATION,  DEDICATED. 

With  him  she  circled  the  world,  meeting  Association  leaders 
and  sharing  in  their  counsels. 

The   soldier  in   prison    camp,   the  struggling  youth,   and 
distressed  secretary  commanded  her  sympathy  and  aid. 

From  their  home,  relays  of  secretaries  went  out  strengthened 
for  service. 

In  his  perplexities  her  intuitions  brought  clear  solutions. 

In  his  discouragements  her  confidence  found  reason  for 
hope. 

To  his  days  of  sickness  and  pain  her  presence  lent  comfort. 

To  his  loneliness  her  sympathetic  voice  brought  peace  and 
solace. 

No  partnership  loas   ever  more   complete    nor   enterprise 
more  mutual. 

And  until  her   death  she  made  his  vnsh  her  mil  and  his 
life  work  her  devotion. 


FOREWORD 

This  is  the  story  of  a  j^oiing  man's  life  nobly  lived, 
worthily  devoted,  persistently  held  to  one  dominating 
plan  and  pnrpose,  ripened  to  the  full.  It  is  told  by 
those  who  had  been  colaborers  with  him  in  enterprises 
which  engaged  all  his  wealth  of  resources,  of  friendship, 
social  position,  and  finance.  They  shared  with  him 
the  privilege  of  working  during  his  long  life  covering 
a  period  of  more  than  half  a  wonderful  century  which 
saw  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  determine 
its  course,  expand  and  extend  its  field  of  influence 
througliout  the  world. 

His  life  is  interwoven  with  the  lives  and  labors  of 
good  and  great  men  of  faith  and  Christian  leadership 
of  two  generations  in  many  lands.  He  worked  in  asso- 
ciation with  other  men.  His  constant  purpose  was  to 
discover  in  close  and  constant  consultation  what  he 
could  do  and  where  he  could  serve.  He  was  ready  for 
anything  and  to  cooperate  to  the  limit.  His  life  is 
woven  into  the  fabric  of  Christian  faith. 

This  is  the  story  of  a  pioneer — of  a  simple  and  de- 
voted servant  of  his  Lord  who  caught  a  vision  of  the  un- 
conquerable power  in  the  organized  forces  of  young 
Christian  laymen  and  of  the  use  by  them  of  influence 
and  of  money. 

This  is  not  merely  the  story  of  one  man,  but  of  a 
constantly  adapting  and  growing  organization  of  men. 
No  claim  of  unusual  greatness  or  originality  is  ad- 
vanced, but  as  the  movement  grew  the  men  who  were 
in   position   of   privileged   responsibility   grew   up   to 

vii 


viii  fori:  WORD 

meet  the  demands  of  the  day  in  unnsnal  measure.  In 
these  pages  will  be  found  the  names  of  many  men, 
though  of  but  few  of  the  many  thousands,  who  linked 
their  lives  into  the  swelling  army  of  a  volunteer  or- 
ganization increasing  with  the  years  and  gaining  in 
experience,  equipment,  and  eager  enterprise  for  Chris- 
tianizing the  young  men  and  boys  of  the  world. 

The  expanding  service  of  that  group  of  young  men  in 
New  York  City,  with  which  Mr.  Stokes  had  the  privi- 
lege of  allying  himself  in  the  years  following  the  Civil 
AVar,  is  paralleled  in  measure  in  city  after  city.  This 
story  will  suggest  the  names  and  service  of  scores  of 
early  leaders  who  labored  with  conspicuous  devotion 
and  ability  throughout  their  lifetime  as  pioneers,  offi- 
cers, and  champions  of  local  Associations — the  Sir 
George  Williams  of  their  cities,  such  as  John  V.  Far- 
well  in  Chicago,  John  Wanamaker  in  Philadelphia, 
Henry  M.  Moore  in  Boston,  John  S.  Maclean  in  Hali- 
fax, T,  James  Claxton  in  Montreal,  John  Macdonald  in 
Toronto,  Joseph  Hardie  in  Selma,  Charles  W.  Lovelace 
in  Marion,  Ala.,  Joshua  Levering  in  Baltimore,  Elijah 
W.  Halford  in  Indianapolis,  Oscar  Cobb  in  Buffalo, 
William  Fleming  in  Omaha,  William  Ladd  in  Portland, 
Oregon — men  whose  names  and  character  and  labors 
should  be  immortalized  in  the  Association  Hall  of  Fame 
— men  who  sought  no  recognition  for  themselves  but 
led  the  Association  to  a  recognized  position  of  worthy 
service. 

These  chapters  should  be  a  challenge  to  young  men 
to  align  themselves  for  life  with  a  worthy  cause  and 
build  their  efforts  into  the  character  of  the  young  men 
of  a  city  and  into  the  Christian  fabric  of  a  nation.  It 
will  reflect  the  genius  of  an  organization  which  can 
employ  any  ability  and  all  the  ability  of  any  man  knit 


FOREWORD  ix 

iulo  a  directed  and  constructive  agency  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 

There  were  otiier  tliousands  of  the  rank  and  file  who 
were  a  part  of  this  brotherhood,  participating  in  the 
"blessing  and  being  blest"  of  the  organization  which 
resulted  from  the  labors  of  this  young  man — fully 
30,000  in  Russia  alone.  Clerks,  bookkeepers,  students, 
miners,  soldiers,  artisans,  waiters — they  found  in  the 
Association  the  one  opportunity  for  personal  develop- 
ment and  Christian  fellowship.  They  studied  in  its 
classes,  played  in  its  gj'mnasium,  read  in  its  library, 
grew  in  character  and  faith  in  its  Bible  classes  and 
meetings,  found  the  touch  and  grace  of  a  home  away 
from  home,  and  gained  the  joy  and  inspiration  of,  and 
development  in,  directed  Christian  service.  In  the 
heart  of  Paris  a  new  Christian  center  rose,  to  attract 
into  its  safe  and  wholesome  fellowship,  from  a  weak, 
unknown  band  of  some  thirty  j'oung  men,  to  a  vital 
and  vigorous  organization  exceeding  1,000.  The  Eter- 
nal City  saw  the  rise  of  a  Christian  fellowship  of  hun- 
dreds with  full  equipment.  Mr.  Stokes's  enterprise 
engaged  the  youth  of  Tokyo,  Calcutta,  and  Peking,  of 
Germany  and  the  countries  of  the  old  world,  as  well  as 
the  foreigner  in  America,  the  railroad  man,  the  com- 
mercial traveler,  the  colored  man,  and  the  prisoners 
in  the  late  war.  Follow  tlie  trail  of  this  pioneer  and 
we  find  it  leading  into  humble  homes,  into  lonely  rooms 
and  classic  halls,  to  the  workshop  and  the  barracks,  to 
huts  and  to  palaces. 

Mr.  Stokes  challenged  men  of  position  and  nobility — 
merchant  princes,  statesmen,  and  educators — to  join 
with  him  and  with  his  Lord  to  raise  the  life  standards 
of  young  men.  He  sought  the  friendship  and  coopera- 
tion of  men  who  could  lift.    Every  man  of  soul  was  kin 


X  FOREWORD 

to  him.  Numbered  among  bis  friends  and  colaborers 
were  men  like  I).  L.  Moody,  Sir  Oeorge  Williams,  Wil- 
liam E.  Dodge,  H.  Tbane  Miller,  Bisbop  Henry  C.  Pot- 
ter, Richard  C.  Morse,  and  John  R.  Mott. 

He  might  have  "lived  unto  bimsell"'  and  surfeited  in 
luxury.  His  life  was  spent  in  incessant  care  and  anx- 
iety, toil,  perplexity,  and  intercessory  prayer.  His  re- 
peate<l  query  was,  ''How  can  T  help?"  He  knew  that 
the  world  was  out  of  joint  and  its  onlj'^  salvation  was  in 
the  Saviour  of  the  world,  who  shed  His  blood  for  its 
redemption.  Therefore  he  withheld  not  himself — up 
to  bis  dying  day. 

F.  W.  O. 


CONTENTS 

Foreword vii 

I.  James  Stokes — A  Man  of  Vision 1 

John  R.  Mott 

II.  "Mt  Specialty  Has  Been  Rather  That  of  a  Pioneer"       5 
Frank  W.  Ober 

III.  His  Fifty-Four  Years  in  the  New  York  City  Asso- 

ciation Fellowship 20 

Mornay  William.s 

IV.  James    Stokes    and    the    Association    Work    among 

Railroad  Men 41 

George  A.  Warburton 

V.  The    Most   International    Member   of    the    Inter- 
national Committee 56 

Richard  C.  Morse 

V^I.  Mr.  Standfast  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation       6G 

Lulhcr  D.  Wishard 

VII.  The  Paris  Association  and  the  Extension  of  the 

Movement  Abroad 82 

Thomas  K.  Cree 

VIII.  Italy's  Call  Answered  by  James  Stokes 99 

Hale  P.  Benton 

IX.  Breaking  into  Russia 107 

Franklin  A.  Gaylord 

X.  The  Attempt  to  Introduce  Association  Work  into 

THE  German  Army  and  N.wy 123 

William  B.  Millar 

XI.  The   K^^GHTLY  Counselor  of -the  Young  Women's 

Christian  Association 135 

Mrs.  Thomas  S.  Gladding 

XII.  Guiding  Principles 145 

Charles  K.  Ober 

XIII.  A  Passion  for  Helping  Folks 155 

XIV.  Messages,  Letters,  and  Reports 175 

XV.  "The  Happiest  Day  of  My  Life" 207 

Appendix:  The  James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated  iiiy 


JAMES    STOKES— A    MAN   OF   VISION 
John  K.  Mott 

James  Stokes  was  a  man  of  vision.  All  through  his 
life  be  seemed  to  be  gifted  to  see  what  the  crowd  did 
not  see,  and  to  see  wider  and  further  than  most  of  those 
of  his  own  day.  This  enabled  him  to  discern  the  possi- 
bilities wrapped  up  in  young  men  and  boys  and  gave 
him  faith  to  initiate  many  beneficent  activities  on  their 
behalf.  For  over  half  a  century  he  was  a  world  figure 
in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  in  all 
that  concerned  the  welfare  and  betterment  of  young 
men.  His  power  of  vision  led  him  to  comprehend  the 
needs  and  claims  of  the  young  men  of  all  classes  and 
of  different  nations  and  races,  and  made  him  fertile  and 
inventive  in  devising  plans  and  means  for  reaching 
them  for  Christ  and  for  His  Kingdom. 

As  a  result  of  his  ability  to  look  beyond  the  present, 
he  was  never  daunted  or  dismayed  by  the  diflSculties 
and  discouragements  which  lay  in  the  long  pathway  of 
the  realization  of  his  hopes.  Having  chosen  a  certain 
course  for  helping  a  group  of  men  or  a  nation  he  held 
on  his  way  of  helpfulness  with  dogged  perseverance. 
He  asked  only  one  question,  Ought  this  thing  to  be 
done?  If  so,  then  no  matter  how  many  might  oppose 
nor  how  few  might  favor,  and  no  matter  how  long  it 
might  take  to  accomplish  the  desired  end,  he  would 
work  on  with  unhasting  and  unresting  diligence.  As 
a  result,  few  of  the  undertakings  with  which  he  identi- 
fied himself,  even  those  in  most  difficult  fields  like  Kus- 

1 


2  JAMES  STOKES— nONEER 

sia  aiul  the  Latiu  coinitries,  or  imdor  the  most  discour- 
aging circumstances,  ever  ended  in  failure  but  rather 
in  notable  success.  If  a  true  test  of  the  greatness  of 
an  achievement  is  not  so  much  the  number  of  things 
done  but  the  extent  of  the  difliculties  overcome  in 
achieving  the  results,  then  he  was  truly  great  in  his 
achieving  power. 

Even  more  than  of  his  power  of  vision  do  we  think  of 
our  friend  as  one  with  a  great  heart.  In  fact  it  is 
large-heartedness  and  sympathy  which  generate  an  at- 
mosphere making  possible  true  vision  of  the  needs  and 
unbounded  possibilities  in  the  lives  of  men  and  peoples. 
What  man  ever  came  in  contact  with  James  Stokes  for 
any  length  of  time  who  did  not  become  conscious  of  his 
great,  sympathetic  heart?  He  seemed  to  have  realized 
what  Zinzendorf  had  in  mind  when  he  prayed  for  him- 
self that  he  might  be  baj)tized  into  a  sense  of  all  con- 
ditions that  so  he  might  have  fellowship  with  the  suf- 
ferings of  all.  The  outreach  of  his  sympathetic  inter- 
est extended  to  rich  and  i)oor  alike,  to  men  in  humble 
and  obscure  station  as  well  as  to  those  prominent  in 
social  and  public  life,  to  the  various  classes  and  races 
in  his  own  country  and  to  the  peoples  of  foreign  lands. 
He  was  especially  tender  with  little  children. 

He  gave  evei-y  encouragement  to  the  adaptation  of 
the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  to 
various  bodies  of  young  men,  first  of  all  to  those  massed 
in  our  great  cities.  Later  he  manifested  interest  in 
helping  to  plant  this  agency  among  railroad  men.  He 
backed  those  who  were  active  in  the  spreading  of  the 
Christian  Association  Movement  in  the  colleges  and 
universities.  Toward  the  end  of  his  life  he  was  one  of 
a  few  discerning  laymen  who  called  attention  to  the 
need  of  doing  far  more  for  young  men  in  rural  com- 


JAMIOS  STOKES— A  MAN  OF  VISION  :: 

nninitics.  His  chief  interest,  however,  was  to  befriend 
and  iielp  in  every  way  possible  the  youth  of  other  lands 
and  races.  This  leil  hiui  to  plant  the  French-speaking 
Branch  of  the  Association  in  New  York  City  and  to 
further  the  fruitful  work  of  the  Association  in  our 
cities  on  behalf  of  German-American  young  men. 

The  range  of  his  heart  interest  and  practical  help- 
fulness widened  to  embrace  successively  the  young  men 
of  France,  of  Italy,  of  Russia,  of  Latin  America,  and 
of  the  Orient.  lie  was  not  only  one  of  the  foundation 
members  of  the  International  Committee — well  called 
its  most  international  member — but  also  of  the  World's 
Committee  of  the  Associations.  Seldom  did  a  year  pass 
that  he  did  not  attend  a  meeting  of  the  World's  Com- 
mittee and  visit  groups  of  the  European  Associations. 
Time  will  show  that  one  of  the  most  significant  and 
productive  actions  of  his  life  was  tliat  of  establishing 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  Ilussia.  He 
accomplished  this  almost  impossible  task  in  the  dark 
and  reactionary  days  of  the  autocracy  and  bureaucracy. 
His  work  was  done  with  such  genuine  heart  nnder- 
standing  that  from  the  beginning  he  commanded  the 
confidence  of  the  ruling  classes  of  State  and  Church 
and  the  following  of  all  classes  and  conditions  of  young 
men.  There  could  be  no  better  evidence  of  his  greatness 
of  heart,  for  the  Russians  more  than  any  other  people 
are  moved  through  their  hearts.  Roosevelt  pointed  out 
in  those  days  that  no  land  more  than  Russia  holds  the 
fate  of  the  coming  years.  It  is  highly  significant,  there- 
fore, that  the  Association  Movement  was  thus  early 
planted  among  the  men  of  this  land  of  great  destiny. 

That  which  we  most  highly  value  in  the  life  of  our 
friend  was  his  loyalty.  And  is  not  this  trait  which  our 
Lord  most  commended  the  one  which  we  should  chiefly 


4        JAMES  STOKES— riOXEER 

prize?  It  need  not  bo  said  to  those  wlio  knew  him 
that  he  was  loyal  to  liis  friends.  His  loyalty  man- 
ifested itself  in  his  faithfulness  and  downright  frank- 
ness. He  was  most  direct  and  free  from  hypocrisy  in 
all  his  dealings.  He  was  relentless  in  exposing  all  sham 
and  double-facedness.  His  presence  and  methods  pro- 
moted reality.  His  loyalty  also  showed  itself  every 
day  of  his  life  in  acts  of  thoughtful  kindness  to  old  and 
new  friends  in  the  midst  of  sorrow,  suffering,  adversity, 
or  severe  strain.  He  might  have  devoted  his  time, 
thought,  and  fortune  to  selfish  ends  but  he  rather  filled 
his  days  and  nights  with  discovering  and  helping  to 
meet  the  needs  of  his  fellows. 

He  was  loyal  to  his  guiding  principles.  All  who 
knew  him  know  that  he  had  such  principles  by  which  he 
ruled  his  life  and  made  his  decisions.  He  did  not  put 
these  off  or  let  them  relax  their  hold  ui)on  him  when  he 
journeyed  or  sojourned  in  foreign  lands  or  when  thrown 
with  i^eople  whose  social  ideals  and  practices  and  reli- 
gious convictions  differed  widely  from  his  own.  With 
great  courage  day  hj  day  he  attacked  personal  and  na- 
tional sins  and  false  or  unworthy  conventions.  Thus 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  at  home  and  abroad,  among 
friends  or  absolute  strangers,  he  bore  faithful  witness 
to  his  religious  faith  and  standards.  He  was  supremely 
loyal  to  Ihe  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Seldom  have  I  spent  a 
half  hour  in  his  company,  in  the  unnumbered  occasions 
when  I  have  been  with  him  in  America,  Europe,  or  Asia 
under  all  kinds  of  conditions,  when  he  did  not  speak 
with  evident  conviction  and  emotion  of  Christ  and  His 
mission  to  men.  He  was  a  true  witness.  He  preached 
Christ  in  more  than  one  Cfesar's  household  as  well  as 
to  men  in  humblest  station  within  the  sphere  of  his 
daily  calling. 


\u;s  Stokks  WiiKN  a  Yoi'nm;  Man 


II 

"MY    SrEClALTY    HAS    BEEN    KATHEK    THAT 
OF  A  PIONEER" 

Frank  W.  Ober 

"Of  course,  my  labor  has  not  compared  with  that  of 
some  of  the  regular  agents,  or  with  those  of  our  hon- 
ored chairnum"  (Cei)lias  Brainerd),  wrote  Mr.  Stokes 
in  presenting  his  resignation  as  a  member  of  the  Inter- 
national Committee  in  middle  life,  at  a  period  when 
he  felt  that  his  work  was  completed  and  that  he  should 
make  way  for  younger  men.  Interpolated  in  the  type- 
written letter,  as  if  an  afterthouglit,  is  this  personal 
sentence  in  his  clear  handwriting,  in  which  he  mod- 
estly and  accurately  "places  himself"  in  Association 
history : 

"i/y  specialty  has  hccn  ratJicr  that  of  a  pioneer.  .  .  . 
When  the  work  ivas  established  I  have  handed  it  over 
to  others." 

Fortunately  this  was  not  his  valedictory.  His  resig- 
nation was  not  accepted  and  he  continued  for  more 
than  twenty-five  years  to  discover  and  break  into  new 
fields,  to  secure,  train,  and  sustain  the  ablest  leader- 
ship that  persistent  search  could  obtain,  and  to  seek 
eagerl}'  new  and  unoccupied  fields  lying  beyond  the 
ever  extending  and  challenging  horizon. 

When  a  boy  of  eighteen  or  nineteen,  before  entering 
upon  his  university  course,  his  first  and  only  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was 
attendance  upon  the  monthly  meetings  of  the  members. 
This  was  just  before  the  Civil  War.    Eloquent  and  fiery 

5 


6        JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

speakers  were  urging  Hie  Association  to  solve  the  polit- 
ical problems  of  the  day  by  vehement  resolutions  fired 
at  the  Government.  Young  Stokes  enjoyed  these  meet- 
ings because  of  the  "fight  that  was  sure  to  come  otf'' 
and  that  was  all.  lie  was  merely  a  side-line  spectator. 
These  were  the  days  when  the  library,  the  lecture 
course,  city  missionary  work,  and  any  needy  cause — 
anything  but  organized  work  for  young  men — was  the 
general  program  of  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion. No  i)ersonal  challenge  to  the  latent  spirit  of  the 
pioneer  in  the  boy,  came  to  him  from  the  Association  of 
that  period.  In  writing  of  it  later  Mr.  Stokes  said, 
"The  Associations  of  that  day  had  but  a  vague  idea  of 
what  they  could  practically  do  to  save  and  serve  the 
thousands  of  young  men  about  them."  He  was  impa- 
tient then  as  always  of  indii-ectioii  and  inaction. 

The  movement  had  not  found  itself.  Men  were  feel- 
ing their  way.  Vigorous  work  was  done  in  Montreal, 
Boston,  Chicago,  Butfalo,  and  at  a  few  other  points, 
but  it  was  irregular,  undefined,  sincere,  and  sporadic. 
The  profession  of  the  general  secretary  was  unknown. 
There  were  no  state  organizations,  no  localized  Inter- 
national Committee,  no  literature,  no  publication,  no 
buildings  or  gymnasiums.  Many  had  reading  rooms  and 
libraries  and  conducted  evangelistic  meetings,  missions, 
or  Sunday  schools,  and  undertook  any  good  work  that 
offered.  New  York  City  had  but  a  handful  of  members 
and  no  proi)erty;  today  its  membershii)  overtops  .'^0,000 
and  there  are  32  brandies.  It  has  buildings  and  endow- 
ments worth  !J5,G00,000,  fully  4,000  men  are  on  its  com- 
mittee forces,  and  100  secretaries  and  assistants  are 
employed.  The  time  was  ripe  and  the  movement  was 
ready  for  pioneers  to  lead  to  city-wide,  national,  and 
world  service. 


"MY  SPECIALTY— A  PIONEER"  7 

Yoiiiij;  Stokes  bad  linished  his  uuiversity  course; 
possessing  an  ample  fortune  well  invested  in  business 
wbidi  deniande<l  only  a  small  portion  of  bis  time,  with 
social  position  wbich  gave  him  a  place  of  commanding 
inlluence,  and  with  bubbling  energy  and  consecrated 
Christian  faith,  he  was  unconsciously  waiting  the  call 
to  a  i)art  and  i)lace  in  Christian  service.  How  grateful 
he  was  for  this  call  and  this  opportunity  to  devote 
himself,  his  fortune,  and  all  his  energies  for  all  the 
years  of  his  life,  in  service  with  the  ever  increasing  and 
expanding  brotherhood  of  men  of  like  mind,  is  told  in 
the  chapters  of  this  book  written  by  those  who  labored 
with  him. 

In  reviewing  the  volume  of  letters  and  reports  cov- 
ering the  period  of  fifty-four  years  which  saw  the  shap- 
ing of  a  great  movement,  we  ran  across  these  words 
written  in  a  passion  of  anxious  devotion:  "How  can  I 
help?" — not  how  can  I  direct  or  dominate  or  dictate — 
a  question  asked  with  the  sincerity  and  humility  shown 
in  the  first  words  of  this  chapter.  Concerning  his  in- 
duction and  introduction  into  this  fellowship  of  serv- 
ice let  us  quote  from  the  meager  memoranda  he  left 
recalling  those  first  days  of  pioneering : 

"At  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  what  remained  of  the 
Association  in  New  York  was  presided  over  by  a  good 
man.  I  remember  that  he  was  a  dear  Christian  saint, 
some  would  call  him  a  very  sisterly  saint,  perhaps.  He 
came  to  me  one  day  and  asked  if  he  could  have  a  meet- 
ing on  behalf  of  the  revival  of  the  Christian  Association 
in  my  father's  house.  T  spoke  to  my  father  about  this, 
but  he  was  an  old-fashioned  Whig  in  his  politics,  and 
said  'No.'  The  Association  had  gone  into  politics  on 
the  colored  question  and  he  felt  it  had  unnecessarily 
brought  on  the  Civil  W^ar,  and  so  the  meeting  could  not 
be  held  at  his  house.    It  is  only  fair  to  my  parents  and 


8        JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

grandparents  to  sav  that  my  grandfather,  Anson  G. 
l*helps,  had  worked  for  the  colored  race  for  years.  Up 
to  this  time  I  think  tliat  the  Association  had  but  a 
vague  idea  of  Avhat  they  could  j^ractically  do  to  save 
the  thousands  of  young  men;  certainly  they  are  doing 
it  now  ill  the  i)resent  world  war. 

"The  meeting  was  not  held  at  our  house,  but  at  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  April,  18(>i,  and  thereafter  an- 
other meeting  was  called  of  the  leading  young  men  of 
the  city  at  the  house  of  my  cousin,  William  E.  Dodge, 
Jr.,  on  West  31st  Street.  Mr.  Dodge  naturally  brought 
together  some  of  the  best  elements  of  our  society  in 
New  York.  I  thought  then  I  was  too  young  to  go  to 
the  meeting,  but  providentially  1  went.  There  were 
addresses  by  various  ones  and  from  the  old  crowd  who 
left  the  xVssociation  when  it  went  into  politics.  Among 
other  speakers  was  William  Walter  IMielps,  afterwards 
a  distinguished  minister  to  Austria  and  Berlin,  and  a 
member  of  Congress.  I  remember  he  said  that  the 
foundation  of  the  Association  was  too  narrow,  that  it 
ought  to  be  enlarged  so  that  all  young  men  could  come 
in  and  take  part,  even  in  the  direction  of  it,  and  I 
think  he  said  that  even  in  the  running  of  the  organiza- 
tion it  was  narrow.  That  is  the  same  cry  we  have  had 
repeated  lately — that  we  ought  to  give  up  what  is 
embodied  in  the  Portland  test  and  the  teachings  of 
Christ,  and  share  more  oi)en  and  broader  views.  Owing 
to  this  speech,  his  opinion  prevailed  in  the  new  con- 
stitution drawn  up  by  a  committee  appointed  at  this 
meeting. 

*'My  impression  is  that  I  was  so  troubled  that  there 
was  nothing  definite  done,  that  I  went  around  and 
almost  called  the  meeting  at  Mr.  Brick's  myself.  This 
meeting  was  concluded  without  a  supper,  and  there 
■w'ere  fewer  people  there  than  at  Mr.  Dodge's.  Ilowever, 
we  talked  over  things  and  I  was  appointed  secretary 
and  directed  to  proceed  and  get  matters  into  shape  if 
I  could. 

*'Then  I  called  a  meeting  at  my  father's  house  where 


''MV  SPECIALTY— A  riOXEER"  9 

Mr.  Dodge,  Mr.  fJohii  Cro.sby  Brown  and  a  few  others 
came,  mostly  men  in  the  Chuixh  Association,  the  Mad- 
ison Square  I'reshyterian  Cliurch,  and  other  i)ersonal 
acquaintances.  Mr.  Dodge  took  matters  in  hand  and 
j)ut  down  the  names  of  everyone  who  was  present  in 
the  house,  excei)ting,  I  believe,  my  father,  and  we  got 
lip  a  kind  of  petition  or  announcement  and  followed 
that  up  with  a  meeting  with  the  existing  Association, 
which  had  small  rooms  then  at  the  Bible  House.  Then 
followed  the  amalgamation  of  that  Association  and 
those  who  had  been  at  these  special  meetings. 

"I  met  at  this  first  gathering  two  wonderful  men. 
The  first  was  Robert  Ross  McBurney,  who  is  acknowl- 
edged to  be  one  of  the  greatest,  if  not  the  greatest, 
of  our  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  secretaries 
up  to  within  a  recent  date.  So  many  fine  men  have 
developed  such  si)lendid  work  since,  I  do  not  like  to 
carry  my  comparison  further.  The  other  was  Cei^has 
Brainerd,  who  afterwards  served  as  chairman  of  the 
International  Committee  for  twenty-tive  years,  but 
whom  I  regarded  at  that  time  with  some  suspicion,  be- 
cause he  had  been  one  of  the  workers  in  the  original 
Association.  We  afterwards  became  very  intimate 
friends  and  remained  thus  for  many,  many  years.  On 
this  occasion  Mr.  McBurney  said  to  me,  'We  want  you 
on  our  board.'  But  I  said  'No,'  thinking  I  was  too 
young  to  do  anything  of  that  kind.  He  said,  'We  want 
you  and  must  have  you.'  This  was  the  time  in  my  life, 
and  all  my  future  history  centers  around  dear,  dear 
McBurney,  my  dear  friend  and  associate.  McBurney 
was  a  wonderful  man.  He  had  a  happy  but  rather  ex- 
citable disposition.  More  than  that,  he  had  such  a  win- 
some smile  and  such  a  winning  way  in  approaching 
young  men.  He  would  grasj)  their  hands  and  speak  to 
them  in  such  a  manner  they  could  not  resist  him.  I 
think  he  must  have  brought  hundreds  if  not  thousands 
to  Christ  and  salvation." 

The  Association  moved  into  new  and  larger  rooms  at 
22ud  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue.    Its  work  expanded  but 


10  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

McBiirney  who  then  served  in  the  position  of  librarian, 
janitor,  and  general  factotnm  (at  a  stii)end  of  .fo  a 
week),  galling  nnder  the  limitations  of  the  position, 
resigned  to  accept  a  clerksliip  in  a  Philadelphia  cigar 
store.  Even  he  did  not  see  any  fnture  prospects  for  an 
Association  secretary.  Young  Stokes,  ready  to  do  any- 
thing and  everything,  acted  as  volunteer  secretary  in 
the  interim.  ''One  day,-'  he  wrote,  "who  should  come 
in  but  McBurney  with  the  words,  'I  could  stand  it  no 
longer,  I  have  left  my  place  and  come  back  to  New 
York.' "  Stokes  said  with  the  eagerness  of  sure  and 
effective  conviction,  "You  have  done  the  right  thing," 
and  immediately  took  him  to  see  his  cousin,  the  great- 
hearted citizen  Christian.  From  that  day  Mr.  Dodge 
and  McBurney  began  a  lifelong  friendship  and  Chris- 
tian partnership. 

Mr.  Dodge  had  felt  that  he  had  done  his  full  duty  by 
the  Association  in  calling  the  meeting  for  reorganiza- 
tion. With  William  F.  Lee,  Mr.  Stokes  helped  to 
secure  Mr.  Dodge's  active  interest  and  with  McBurney 
back  in  the  secretaryship  with  no  further  doubts  about 
the  future,  a  new  day  began.  In  that  interview  with 
Mr.  Dodge  at  his  home  his  wife's  word  settled  the  deci- 
sion which  committed  him  to  the  movement:  "I  told 
you,  William,  that  if  you  invited  those  young  men  to 
your  house  you  would  have  to  go  into  the  work."  He 
did.  Of  that  decision  Mr.  Stokes  wrote:  "Anyone  who 
knows  his  history  knows  what  it  meant  for  Mr.  Dodge, 
with  his  own  and  his  father's  influence,  to  go  into  the 
work,  and  what  it  means  for  us  to  have  his  son  and  his 
son's  son  to  continue  their  interests  with  us.  May 
there  never  be  a  time  when  we  shall  fail  to  have  one 
of  his  name  and  one  with  his  liberal  spirit  as  one  of 
our  active  and  guiding  directors." 


D.  L.  Moody 

Evangelist,  early  socretarj' 

Chicago  Association 


Cephas  Buainerd 
For  twent}'-five  years  chairman 
J  nt ernat ional  Commit t  ee 


^«^ 


Thaxe  .Miller  William  E.  Dodl-e,  .Sr. 

President  of  early  "Christian  philanthropist  of 

conventions  his  daj-" 

-FouK  Great  Lay  Leaders  of  Pioneer  Days 


''MY  SPECIALTY— A  PIONEER"  11 

These  were  itioneerinj?  days.  The  Association  was 
without  i)ropeity  and  sci"ai)ing  the  bottcjni  of  the  till 
monthly  to  pay  the  landlord  the  modest  rent  for  rooms 
on  the  second  floor  at  22nd  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue. 
But  with  William  E.  Dodge  thoroughly  conimitteil  to 
the  Association  and  Robert  McBurney  now  having 
found  himself  and  regained  courage,  the  need  of  a 
l)ernianent  building  soon  became  felt.  The  scheme  he 
proposed  was  audacious  for  those  days.  McBurney's 
faith  and  vision  had  grasped  it.  Stokes  had  not.  No 
wonder  that  he  faltered  when  McBurney  suggested 
that  he  take  the  initial  step. 

This  is  the  account  Mr.  Stokes  left  of  that  momen- 
tous beginning  of  the  building  which  was  to  cost  nearly 
1500,000  and  set  the  type  for  841  which  have  followed 
in  the  course  of  fifty  years  and  cost  close  to  $81,000,- 
000.    This  is  the  memorandum  we  find  of  that  meeting: 

"Mr.  McBurney  called  me  to  him  one  evening  just 
before  a  board  meeting  and  said,  'We  ought  to  have  a 
building  for  our  work,  and  I  want  to  bring  up  a  resolu- 
tion this  evening  on  that  subject.  Will  you  offer  the 
resolution?'  I  hesitated,  and  Mr.  McBurney  as  usual 
said,  'Let  us  kneel  down  and  pray  about  this,'  and  when 
we  got  upstairs  to  the  board  meeting,  my  friend  made 
the  resolution,  and  1  am  grateful  to  say  I  seconded  it, 
and  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Dodge,  preparations 
were  begun  for  a  big  canvass.  A  little  pamphlet  was 
gotten  up  with  letters  from  different  young  men  who 
told  of  the  good  the  Association  had  been  to  them.  One 
or  more  of  them  stated  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
Association  they  would  have  committed  snicide.  There 
were  also  many  more  touching  stories  told  in  the  let- 
ters which  made  us  understand  the  life  of  a  young  man 
as  it  is  in  the  city,  and  what  temjitations  he  is  subject 
to.  It  was  not  long  before  we  had  .^100,000  and  I  was 
put  on  the  committee  to  select  a  site  for  the  building. 
I  got  the  refusal  from  Messrs.  E.  H,  Ludlow,  real  estate 


12  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

agents,  for  the  lot«  on  the  southwest  comer  of  2'5r<l 
Street  and  Fourth  Avenue.  We  looked  at  them  and 
those  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Gth  Avenue,  tlicu  oc- 
cupied, I  think,  by  Booth's  Theatre.  They  liually  de- 
cided on  the  lots  I  had  selected. 

"One  of  our  directors,  Mr.  Hatch,  drew  a  plan  of  the 
first  modern  style  building,  namely  a  building  with 
heavy  columns  and  large  windows  between,  and  we 
afterwards  regretted  that  his  building  was  not  selected, 
especially  as  our  stair  entrance  had  been  made  so  steep. 
Xevertheless,  that  was  the  model  for  all  our  buildings 
throughout  the  country  and  I  might  say  throughout 
the  world,  wherever  the  American  idea  was  carried  out, 
namely  to  have  one  entrance  room  where  everybody 
who  came  in  had  to  pass  through  before  the  eyes  of 
the  secretary  so  he  could  greet  every  man  and  keep  a 
watch  over  everything  that  was  going  on." 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  new  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  in  New  York  City  that  was  des- 
tined to  pioneer  the  way  to  the  new  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  in  America  and  throughout  the  world. 
The  youth  who  was  thought  too  young  even  to  be  in- 
vited to  the  first  reorganization  conference,  was  sorely 
'^troubled  that  nothing  definite  was  done''  at  the  sec- 
ond meeting,  and  was  an  active  force  in  securing  the 
third  and  decisive  conference,  found  himself  invited  to 
become  a  director  at  the  third — "too  young"  he  thought 
for  responsible  leadership.  McBurney,  with  the  dis- 
cernment which  won  for  him  the  characterization  of 
the  "master  secretary"  in  after  j'ears,  saw  possibilities 
in  him.  Stokes,  with  the  warmheartedness  of  eager 
youth,  had  set  and  gripped  to  his  soul  ''two  w'onder- 
ful  men" — the  first  to  him  of  that  vast  fraternity  in- 
creasing with  years,  in  which  he  was  to  delight  and 
with  which  he  was  to  throw  his  life  for  half  a  century. 


"MY  SI»E(^IALTV— A   riOXKKR"  VA 

Tlic  throe  men  were  lo  lorin  :i  ini'];hty  working  part- 
nership— MeBurney,  the  great  personality  of  the  Asso- 
ciation movement  and  Nestor  of  general  secretaries; 
Brainerd,  tlie  statesman  who  was  to  define  its  conrse 
and  write  its  platform;  Stokes,  who  was  to  pioneer  and 
])roject  tlie  organization  they  conceived  and  conserved. 
Uis  heart  was  knit  to  theirs.  He  had  found  his  place 
and  would  play  his  part.  He  was  irrevocably  commit- 
ted to  the  enterprise. 

This  was  Mr.  Stokes's  introductory  training  for  his 
life  work  as  a  pioneer.  He  had  made  fast  friends  of 
men  who  were  to  be  dominating  personalities  in  the 
Association  movement.  He  had  caught  their  spirit, 
he  had  been  through  a  training  conrse  which  groundeil 
hira  in  Association  principles  and  practice,  and  he  had 
proved  his  stuff  in  the  growing  enterprise  in  his  home 
city.  Now  he  was  ready  to  meet  the  call  the  dawning 
day  presented.  The  Civil  War  had  ended,  and  the  scat- 
tered and  shattered  Associations  Avere  reorganizing 
and  rallying.  Men  of  force  were  challenging  the  un- 
known future.  When  the  Associations  of  North  Amer- 
ica were  called  to  meet  in  Boston  in  1804,  Mr.  Stokes, 
then  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was  one  of  New  York's 
delegates.  How  much  his  first  convention  meant  to  his 
life  is  told  in  his  own  words. 

"I  got  my  tirst  great  Association  impulse  from  this 
notable  gathering.  There  I  had  the  pleasure  of  making 
the  acquaintance  of  national  leaders  and  hearing  their 
noble  and  now  historical  speeches,  in  which  they  laid 
down  the  foundation  for  all  good  Association  work 
that  has  been  accomplished  since  then,  and  gave  true 
Association  ideals  which  have  been  our  guide  ever 
since.  It  was  there  I  met  the  eloquent  and  earnest 
Henry  C.  Potter,  who  later  became  Bishop  of  New  Y'ork, 
and  we  became  life-long  friends. 


14  JAMES  STOKES— I'lONICEK 

*'Here  I  was  jjjivon  a  resolution  to  read,  my  first  part 
in  a  national  nieetiuj;,  one  of  the  acts  of  my  life." 

In  later  years  it  devolved  upon  him  to  present  the 
International  Committee  reports  at  most  of  the  con- 
ventions held  for  many  years. 

At  the  next  national  meeting  at  Albany  in  18G(] 
known  as  "the  convention  of  new  departures''  the  Inter- 
national Committee  was  appointed  with  headquarters 
fixed  at  New  York.  Mr.  Stokes  was  one  of  the  five  mem- 
bers appointed.  lie  continued  as  a  member  and  trustee 
for  fifty-one  years,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death — a  rec- 
ord of  continuous  and  able  service  such  as  no  other  man 
has  made. 

The  president  of  the  Albany  Convention  was  H. 
Thane  Miller,  an  educator  from  Cincinnati.  This  pic- 
ture of  the  man  and  the  spirit  of  the  meeting  of  that 
day  could  not  be  better  reflected  than  through  this 
memoranda  written  by  Mr.  Stokes  nearly  fifty  years 
later : 

''He  made  a  marked  impression,  and  although  blind 
he  had  a  most  winning  way  and  manner.  I  shall  never 
forget  as  he  walked  down  the  aisle  escorted  by  two 
members  that  he  began  his  sj)eech  and  drew  everybody's 
attention.  He  was  indeed  a  remarkable  man,  so  re- 
markable that  he  was  chosen,  convention  after  conven- 
tion, as  our  best  and  leading  chairman.  He  had  such 
a  way  of  quieting  people  when  there  was  any  excite- 
ment and  such  a  touching  way  of  drawing  people  to 
Christ.  I  shall  never  forget  to  my  d3ing  day  the  mov- 
ing address  he  made  at  the  Montreal  Convention  in 
18(57.  After  calling  the  brethren  together,  he  said  that 
we  ought  to  remember  we  came  there  in  the  name  of 
Christ  and  that  our  Association  which  bore  that  Sacred 
Name  should  live  up  to  His  teachings.  We  should  all 
bear  the  image  of  (^hrist  at  the  convention  and  should 
carry  it  away  with  us.    He  said  he  would  venture  to 


''MY  si'i:(MAi/rv— A  I'1om:i:r"  m 

tell  us  of  his  own  personal  experience  when  Ik;  found 
that  darkness  was  cominjjf  over  his  eyes.  He  said  he 
took  his  little  ho.v  on  his  lap  and  with  all  the  sight  he 
had  left  he  put  his  hands  over  the  boy's  face  and  head 
so  that  he  might  reuieniber  him  as  long  as  he  could, 
lie  said  in  doing  this  he  wanted  to  get  his  image  im- 
pressed upon  himself  an<l  that  is  the  way  we  must  get 
Christ's  image  impressed  on  ourselves.  We  must  live 
with  Him,  we  must  know  Him.  My  cousin,  Wm.  E. 
Dodge,  was  at  this  convention,  and  though  I  had  never 
noticed  that  he  was  one  given  to  any  great  emotion, 
I  remember  that  he  leaned  forward  and  putting  his 
head  on  the  seat  before  him,  sobbed  like  a  child.  No  one 
can  ever  forget  this  good  man,  and  though  it  is  many 
years  since  he  went  to  Heaven,  his  work  lives  after  him, 
and  I  am  sure  there  are  many  left  whom  he  drew  to 
Christ  and  salvation.  1  want  to  speak  of  this  because 
in  those  times  our  work  was  done  with  the  sacred 
Spirit  of  Him  whose  name  our  Association  bears  and 
our  conventions  were  conducted  with  the  same  sacred 
Spirit. 

"I  have  not  been  to  conventions  of  late  years,  but  I 
want  to  say  that  if  we  lose  that  Spirit  and  turn  our 
work  into  mere  helpful  or  humanitarian  work,  w^e  lose 
the  spirit  of  our  founder,  Sir  George  Williams,  whose 
work  always  began  with  a  i)rayer  meeting  intended  to 
bring  young  men,  his  fellow-clerks,  to  Christ.  If  as 
I  say,  we  lose  this  Spirit,  our  fine  buildings  will  not 
save  us,  our  gymnasiums  will  not  save  us,  our  classes 
and  all  the  other  attractions  which  time  has  brought  in 
will  not  save  us,  and  all  the  work  of  our  Associations 
will  go  down  just  as  much  as  if  we  turned  our  work 
over  to  fashioiuible  directors,  or  to  men  who  have 
money,  or  to  popular  men  who  have  not  the  right  spirit 
of  the  work.  We  must  have  men  with  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  and  only  those  must  be  chosen  to  do  the  work 
who  symi^athize  with  it,  and  with  the  sacred  Name  for 
which  it  stands." 

Dwight  L.  Moody,  president  of  the  Chicago  Associa- 


16       JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

fion  at  that  time,  who  was  then  finding  himself  and  his 
message  as  the  greatest  evangelist  tlie  world  has  seen, 
was  a  glowing  personality  and  fervid  force  at  these 
conventions.  With  him  Mr.  Stokes  formed  a  friendship 
which  was  lifelong. 

State  Committees  soon  came  into  being  and  many  of 
their  early  secretaries,  such  as  George  A.  Hall,  AVm.  E. 
Lewis,  "Charlie"  Morton,  L.  W.  Muuhall/  and  S.  M. 
Sayford,  were  primarily  evangelists.  McBurney,  Thos. 
K.  Cree,  D.  A.  Budge,  and  Thos.  J.  Wilkie  were  no  less 
evangelists  as  city  secretaries  but  they  worked  quietly 
on  the  line  of  personal  approach,  and  as  promoters  of 
organized  friendship  rather  than  "j^latform  i)leaders." 
These  men  made  the  Portland  Test,  adopted  at  the 
convention  in  18G9,  the  national  and  fundamental  ex- 
pression of  Association  principle. 

Trust  and  zeal  characterized  the  work  of  the  decade 
following  the  appointment  of  the  International  Com- 
mittee at  Albany.  Its  first  secretary  to  be  appointed 
was  the  ruggedly  religious  Robert  Weidensall,  inducted 
from  the  railroad  shops  of  Omaha  to  project  a  work 
among  the  men  building  the  Union  Pacific  railroad 
across  the  plains.  Richard  C.  Morse  was  the  next  sec- 
retary of  the  Committee,  appointed  to  edit  its  maga- 
zine, who  soon  developed  such  masterful  organizing 
genius  that  he  rose  to  leadership  as  its  general  secre- 
tary. Mr.  Stokes  was  appointed  recording  secretary 
and  was  its  first  volunteer  foreign  corresponding  and 
visiting  secretary. 

The  Railroad  Association  took  shape  and  Cornelius 
Vauderbilt  was  secured  as  its  chairman.  In  all  this 
Mr.  Stokes  helped  to  pioneer  with  tremendous  enthusi- 
asm. At  his  home  rough  engineers  met  officials.  "The 
old  Commodore"  Vanderbilt  was  so  impressed  with  the 


CiEORCE  A.  Hall 
State  SecTPtarv,  X(nv  York 


Thomas  K.  Cuee 
Tnt  eniat  ional  Loader 


IllrllAKD    C".    .MoH^K  RoitEUT    R.    McBxJUNEY 

CeiH  ral  Secretary,  International  General  Secretary,    New  York 

Committee  City 

FouK  Dominant  Secretakies  of  Pioneeu  Days 


'*MY  SPICCIALTY— A  PIONEER"  17 

account  of  the  interest  of  the  men  that  he  said  to  his 
grandson  Cornelius,  *'It  is  a  good  thing,  Nealy;  better 
go  into  it,-'  and  his  going  into  it  made  the  department 
now  enrolling  l-iO,000  men  possible  on  the  leading  roads 
of  North  America. 

From  the  success  of  one  department  projected  with 
a  single  group  of  men  the  idea  gained  that  other  groups 
and  classes  could  be  reached,  and  he  joined  in  efforts 
to  form  branches  for  German  and  French  young  men. 
The  French  Branch  in  New  York  projected  by  him 
chiefly,  and  for  which  he  with  his  faniih^  and  friends 
erected  a  building,  still  stands.  The  German  Associa- 
tions rose  to  strength,  served  their  day,  and  some,  as  in 
Buffalo  and  St.  Louis,  proved  the  pioneers  of  what  are 
now  strong  city  departments. 

There  were  but  two  Associations  existing  in  the 
South  after  the  war.  With  George  A.  Hall,  Thomas  K. 
Cree,  and  others,  Mr.  Stokes  made  up  a  team  to  reor- 
ganize the  movement  south  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon 
line.  Thomas  Hardie  of  Selma  and  other  leading  south- 
erners joined  in  the  pioneering  movement.  Associa- 
tions rapidly  arose  in  the  chief  cities  and  became  a 
factor  in  bringing  about  good  fellowship.  Colored 
Associations  followed.  In  this  Mr.  Stokes  had  an 
active  part.  A  visit  to  California  led  to  the  reorganiz- 
ing and  rebuilding  of  the  Association  at  the  Golden 
Gate. 

The  International  Committee  soon  reached  out  to 
other  large  groups  of  men — to  students,  soldiers  and 
sailors,  and  colored  men  and  men  of  the  East.  Into 
the  launching  of  this  work  he  threw  himself  and  his 
influence,  and  gave  generously.  With  Wishard,  Hun- 
ton,  Millar,  and  Mott,  secretaries  for  their  departments, 
he  labored,  always  holding  consistently  to  the  policy 


18  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

of  ''banding  the   work   over   to  others  as   rapidly   as 
possible." 

The  thoroughness  with  which  he  entered  upon  a  proj- 
ect is  revealed  in  his  statement,  written  later,  of  his 
attempt  to  promote  the  army  work  abroad. 

"Two  or  three  years  ago,  Mr.  Millar  told  me  that  he 
had  a  scheme  to  visit  among  the  armies  and  navies  of 
Europe  and  especially  among  those  working  for  the 
morale  of  the  men  and  that  he  planned  to  organize  an 
international  organization  or  league  of  such  workers 
and  to  get  government  aj)proval  as  far  as  possible.  I 
saw  instantly  that  this  scheme  had  great  possibilities 
as  a  great  moral  force  among  the  immense  body  of 
young  men  who  are  exposed  to  special  temptations  of 
the  army  and  navy,  and  knowing  that  these  were  picked 
young  men  of  the  continent,  it  seemed  to  me  that  if 
such  an  organization  as  Mr.  Millar  designed  could  be 
started,  it  would  have  a  healthful  political  etfect,  at 
least  so  far  as  it  would  encourage  international  amity 
and  peace,  as  it  would  bring  together  men  prominent 
in  the  armies  and  navies  of  all  nations  into  conference 
in  behalf  of  the  best  effort  to  discover  the  most  useful 
ways  of  raising  the  morale  of  the  young  men  under 
their  charge. 

"After  the  Paris  Conference,  I  took  Mr.  Millar  to 
Italy  and  through  introductions  of  our  American  Em- 
bassy, we  were  able  to  call  among  the  marine,  the  army, 
and  the  railroad,  all  of  whom  were  government 
employes. 

"Mr.  Millar  returned  to  Paris,  where  he  came  in  con- 
tact with  some  of  the  French  otiicers  and  others  who 
would  be  interested  in  such  a  work  in  behalf  of  the 
French  Army  and  Navy.  But  there  are  positive  objec- 
tions in  P^rance  to  anything  religious,  though  we  were 
given  to  understand  that  if  the  work  was  begun  with- 
out seeking  permission,  it  would  not  be  interfered  with. 
Since  that  time  I  have  had  to  do  with  several  receptions 
to  French  ships,  especially  to  the  French  squadron  at 


"MV  Sl'i:ciALTV— A   I'lUMOKK"  11) 

Bar  Harbor  in  Maine.  We  had  (piite  a  notable  re- 
ception lor  the  sailors  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation in  Bar  Harbor,  about  four  years  ago,  and  the 
other  receptions  1  think  have  been  in  the  French  branch 
ol"  tlie  Association  in  New  York. 

''While  Mr.  Millar  was  waiting  in  Germany  he  came 
in  contact  with  many  of  those  interested  in  army  and 
navy  work.  He  always  visited  the  various  military  cen- 
ters and  came  in  contact  with  military  men.  So  now 
the  way  is  open,  I  believe." 

Frequent  visits  to  Great  Britain  brought  him  into 
contact  with  its  Association  leaders.  Whenever  he  went 
to  London,  he  met  with  Sir  George  Williams  in  the 
historic  little  back  office  and  knelt  in  prayer  with  him 
in  the  upper  chamber,  still  sacredly  i)reserved  as  the 
birthplace  of  the  Association  movement. 

Mr.  Stokes's  greatest  work  was  in  France.  From  his 
earliest  visits  to  Paris  as  a  young  man  with  his  parents 
he  hunted  out  the  little  Association.  The  littleness  of 
its  work  worried  him.  Gould  he  aid  in  pioneering  an 
Association  movement  which  would  measure  up  to  the 
greatness  of  the  French  capital?  He  could  and  he  did, 
but  it  required  a  siege  of  years.  He  could  not  be  dis- 
couraged. He  demanded  that  Mr.  Morse  should  spend 
a  year  there  if  need  be,  and  at  his  exjiense,  to  establish 
a  broad  and  vigorous  Association  on  the  right  basis  and 
adapted  to  the  French  people  and  to  conditions  exist- 
ing in  France.  Mr.  Morse  could  not  go,  but  the  Inter- 
national Gommittee  loaned  his  associate.  Thos.  K.  Gree, 
for  the  mission.  The  story  of  Mr.  Gree's  work  as  Mr. 
Stokes's  representative  in  establishing  Associations  in 
the  capital  cities  of  Europe  and  broadening  and  back- 
ing the  World's  Gommittee  is  one  of  the  most  signifi- 
cant chapters  in  Association  history,  and  is  incorpor- 
ated in  the  story  of  this  Association  pioneer. 


20  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

Pioneering  Associa lions  in  conservative  Enrope  was 
a  vastly  different  task  llian  in  America.  It  required 
astute  diplomatic  worlc.  It  took  time,  patience,  money, 
and  above  all  a  faith  that  would  not  be  defeated.  This 
became  Mr.  Stokes's  life  work.  At  the  same  time  he 
followe<l  every  development  of  the  home  Association 
with  jealous  care.  He  did  not  relinquish  his  place  on 
the  New  York  City  Board  of  Directors  or  the  Interna- 
tional Committee — on  both  of  which  he  served  longer 
than  any  other  man — yet  his  work,  ''my  work"  he  called 
it,  was  in  Europe.  He  followed  the  rise  of  the  Paris 
Association  from  a  tolerated  place  in  the  consideration 
of  the  French  i)eople  as  a  back  door  beggar,  to  be  put 
off  with  a  couple  of  francs,  to  a  welcomed  front  door 
caller  and  valued  social  force  which  received  attention, 
checks  for  10,000  francs,  and  equipment  of  a  stately 
home  on  the  Rue  de  Trevise  to  which  Mr.  Stokes  gave 
over  1100,000.  The  Association  was  also  established  in 
a  strong  position  in  Rome  and  Berlin  and  last  of  all 
and  crowning  victory  of  all  was  his  persistent  pioneer- 
ing of  a  really  great  Association  in  Petrograd. 

No  investment  of  money,  travel,  or  labor  was  too 
great  for  him.  All  his  time  and  thought  were  given  for 
twenty-five  years  to  Association  work  in  Europe.  His 
incessant  inquiry  was,  "Where  can  I  find  the  best  pos- 
sible man?"  for  secretary  or  physical  director  in  Petro- 
grad or  Paris  or  Rome.  He  followed  down  every  sug- 
gested man  of  possibilities,  and  had  men  come  to  New 
York  to  spend  days  with  him  at  his  home  for  conference 
with  himself  and  his  equally  interested  wife.  When  he 
found  a  young  man  with  the  right  qualities  and  charac- 
ter, that  young  man  thereafter  became  as  a  son  and  a 
partner  in  service.  No  expense  of  training  or  equip- 
ment was  too  great.    Fully  twenty  he  sent  for  one  or 


"MY  KPE(MALTV— A  PIONEER"  21 

two  years'  preparation  in  training  schools.  He  stood 
by  a  faithful  man  to  the  limit,  but  he  dropped  with 
decision  a  man  who  proved  false  to  a  trust  or  false  to 
the  faith.  Some  men  have  called  Mr.  Stokes  narrow.  He 
narrowed  his  choice  down  to  men  who  believed  in  Jesus 
(^hrist  as  divine  and  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God, 
knowinjj;  full  well  that  no  man  who  was  not  grounded  in 
godliness  and  established  in  faith  could  permanently 
and  effectively  serve  as  a  leader  in  a  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Stokes  sought  the  best  man  for  the  posi- 
tion of  responsibility.  He  pioneered.  He  opened  the 
wa^'.  He  continued  support.  He  knew  his  own  limita- 
tions. He  had  learned  to  organize,  to  find  the  right 
men  and  then  to  turn  the  work  over  to  them.  He  made 
his  gifts  do  double  work  by  ottering  "to  do  his  share" 
and  insisting  that  others  share  the  privilege  of  giving. 
His  gifts  to  Associations  were  conditioned  on  securing 
other  gifts  to  match  his  own  and  a  local  constituency 
to  direct  and  support  the  work. 
Mr.  Stokes  wrote  in  about  1000 : 

"To  the  Portland  Convention  in  ISOO  T  made  report 
of  visits  which  I  had  then  recently  made  as  a  represen- 
tative of  the  Committee  to  leading  cities  of  Germany, 
Great  Britain,  France,  Switzerland,  and  Italy.  Our 
work  for  young  men  was  then  only  in  the  beginning  of 
its  development  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  Very 
few  Associations  had  secured  the  indispensable  exec- 
utive officer  we  now  know  as  the  general  secretary.  No 
Association  had  erected  what  we  are  now  equally  fa- 
miliar with,  a  genuine  Association  building.  The  four- 
fold work  had  not  been  fully  wrought  out  by  any  Asso- 
ciation. The  state  organizations  were  feeble  and  not 
one  had  secured  a  state  secretary.  The  International 
Committee  had  only  just  put  into  the  field  its  senior 
secretary,  Robert  Weidensall.  But  the  American  As- 
sociations   were    known    to    our   brethren    in    Europe, 


22  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

AnicrJeaii  delegates  had  from  the  beginning  attended 
the  World's  Conferences,  with  our  brethren  in  many 
cities  I  had  mj-self  corresponded  on  behalf  of  onr  own 
Committee,  and  I  received  a  very  hearty  welcome  and 
became  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  our  brethren 
in  the  leading  European  cities  I  visited,  an  interest 
which  I  have  ever  since  maintained.  Of  late  years  this 
interest  has  increased  and  I  have  sought  to  jjromole,  as 
far  as  I  was  able,  a  better  knowledge  b^^  onr  Enroi)ean 
brethren  of  the  approved  methods  and  most  nsefnl 
agencies  of  onr  American  Association  work.  1  have 
been  enabled  to  help  them  somewhat,  specially  in  the 
city  of  I'aris,  in  their  work,  h\  correspondence  and 
through  promoting  the  visits  of  experienced  American 
workers,  in  this  way  bringing  to  them  helpful  knowl- 
edge of  the  methods  and  agencies  which  had  been  suc- 
cessfully employed  in  our  own  work. 

"Having  occasion  last  year  to  visit  many  of  the  points 
I  had  visited  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  I  was  led  to 
realize  vividly  how  greatly  the  American  Associations 
had  been  blessed  in  developing  their  work  for  young 
men  since  these  early  days.  The  story  I  had  to  tell  of 
this  development  into  a  band  of  1,300  Associations  with 
200,000  members,  over  1,000  secretaries  and  other  help- 
ers, 205  buildings  worth  !?8,000,000  and  multiplying 
Bible  classes,  prayer  meetings,  and  religious  results — 
this  story  of  God's  gracious  answer  to  jirayer  and  effort 
by  the  Christian  young  men  of  America  was  listened  to 
with  deep  interest." 

To  open  doors  wide  into  new  fields  and  new  countries 
and  to  place  the  Association  in  a  firm  position  Mr. 
Stokes  personally  presented  his  case  before  many  of 
the  reigning  monarchs  of  Europe,  including  the  kings 
of  Italy  and  Sweden,  the  Czar,  and  the  Kaiser.  In 
speaking  before  the  New  York  Kailroad  Association, 
he  said : 

"I  had  an  audience  this  past  summer  with  the  Em- 
peror of  Germany.    I  went  to  him,  not  as  an  individual, 


"MY  SPECIALTY— A  PIONKini"  23 

but  I  went  in  behalf  of  this  ina<^uificent  work  that 
appeals  to  all  men,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  One 
cannot  give  it  up  after  once  getting  into  it. 

"I  told  His  Majesty  that  I  wanted  to  have  him  know 
that  the  Kussian  (lovernment  had  sent  over  a  commis- 
sion to  look  into  work  for  railroad  employes  in  Amer- 
ica a  year  or  two  ago;  that  they  thought  very  much 
of  our  railroad  work,  and  1  wanted  him  to  know  that 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  work  had  been 
started  in  St.  Petersburg  under  the  protection  of  the 
Empress  there  and  under  the  patronage  of  the  Prince 
of  Oldenburg,  one  of  the  most  benevolent  men  of  that 
country,  who  has  given  millions  of  dollars  for  the  ben- 
efit of  his  fellow-countrymen. 

"I  suggested  that  we  would  like  to  know  more  of 
what  was  being  done  by  the  German  Government  for  its 
railroad  employes  and  that  possibly  he  might  be  inter- 
ested in  what  we  w'ere  doing  over  here.  He  met  my 
suggestion  in  the  most  cordial  and  kindly  way  and  said 
he  would  give  orders  to  his  ministers  to  cooperate  in 
the  study  of  these  questions. 

"I  spoke  to  His  Majesty  of  the  work  the  Association 
was  doing  among  the  Army  and  Navy,  and  of  what  that 
good  woman,  Miss  Gould,  had  done  in  Brooklyn,  and 
he  was  most  interested. 

"Then  I  had  the  i)leasure  of  being  presented  to  Pres- 
ident Loubet  of  tlie  Fivnch  Kei)nblic.  He  was  impressed 
by  the  work  and  particularly  by  what  he  called  the 
mutuality  of  the  young  men  in  Paris,  even  down  to  the 
refreshments  which  are  furnished  at  the  Paris  Associa- 
tion building  restaurant." 

Public  recognition  was  given  of  his  service  in  France, 
in  Italy,  and  in  Kussia.  The  French  Rej)ublic  conferred 
upon  him  the  order  of  OfRcier  of  the  Legion  of  Honor, 
the  King  of  Italy  made  him  Cavaliere  of  the  Order  of 
SS.  Manrice  and  Lazara,  and  the  Czar  decorated  him 
with  the  Order  of  St.  Stanislas  of  the  First  Class. 


24  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

Mr.  Stokes,  in  discussing  the  future  of  the  Associa- 
tion movement,  wrote  in  1905 : 

"I  think  the  time  has  fully  come  when  the  Committee 
should  comprehend  the  complete  import  of  its  name. 
Of  course,  the  International  ('ommittee  was  intended 
to  apply  chief!}'  to  Canada  and  the  United  States,  but 
the  work  has  grown  to  China,  India,  Japan,  and  South 
America. 

"I  believe  it  was  a  most  fortunate  thing  that  we 
stretched  out  our  hands  toward  the  young  men  in  the 
Orient.  But  more  than  these,  there  are  those  who  are 
bound  to  us  by  every  tie  of  diplomacy,  politics,  and 
absolute  nearness — namely,  the  young  men  in  South 
America.  We  know  well  the  instability  of  some  of  these 
governments.  A  sufficient  number  of  Christian  Asso- 
ciations would  produce  a  peaceful  revolution  in  all  of 
these  lands,  which  would  make  them  republics  indeed. 

"In  any  event,  I  want  to  feel  that  I  can  be  laying  my 
plans  for  relief  and  for  turning  over  this  work  (as  I 
have  always  expected  it  would  be  turned,  at  my  death 
at  least)  to  our  International  Committee.  America  has 
become  the  dumping  ground  of  all  the  nations  of  Europe 
and  the  Mecca  for  the  great  steamship  companies.  The 
way  to  improve  this  immigration  thoroughly  is  to  reach 
the  emigrants  at  their  homes." 

This  chapter  on  the  Pioneer  of  Associations  could 
not  be  more  fittingly  closed  than  by  quoting  from  an 
address  made  by  Mr.  Stokes  at  a  convention  of  the 
Associations  of  the  Empire  State: 

"Now  about  the  work  abroad :  God  seems  to  have 
called  me  over  there  by  a  strange  providence,  and  I 
am  thankful  that  He  has  given  me  to  see  something 
of  this  work  before  I  die,  and  I  thank  God  for  all  the 
blessing  that  it  has  brought  to  my  heart,  and  also,  I 
hope,  to  the  work  in  general.  It  has  also  been  my  pleas- 
ure to  go  around  the  world.  At  Shanghai  I  met  my 
dear  brother  Mott.    We  talked  over  the  work  there  and 


Prince  Rernadotte 
President  Swedish  Asso  iatioii 


Cor NT    PulHTALES 

Presid(>nt  Paris  Association 


Baron  vox  IIothkirche  Count  Andres  vox  Bernstorff 

President  Berlin  Association  A  World  Conference  Leader 

FoiR  European  Association  Leaders 


"MY  SPECIALTY— A  PIONEER"  25 

went  together  into  (he  Chinese  Convention.  I  went  also 
to  Jiip;ni.  In  Calcutia,  I  had  a  chance  to  speak  to  stu- 
dents on  tlie  friends  they  had,  and  the  better  Friend — 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  feUows  all  responded  to  that,  and 
when  I  got  through,  one  of  these  young  men  came  up  and 
talked  about  one  of  their  gods.  If  he  had  been  in  a 
churcli,  he  wouhl  have  been  going  to  a  temple,  you  see, 
and  his  family  would  have  cut  him  off,  and  he  could  not 
have  come  back  except  through  terrible  experience;  but 
coming  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  he 
could  hear  all  this.  He  could  come  to  the  reading  room, 
the  gymnasium,  the  concerts  and  lectures,  and  nothing 
would  be  done  to  him  at  all,  but  his  heart  could  be 
touched. 

'The  future  of  the  young  men  in  India,  China,  and 
Japan  depends  upon  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. You  can  see  how  the  work  in  Europe  has  been 
vitalized  within  the  last  twenty-five  years.  We  are 
going  to  have  a  magnificent  gathering  soon  in  Boston. 
If  we  get  one  hundred  men  from  the  other  side,  we  shall 
have  a  fine  body  of  men,  picked  men  from  all  over 
Europe,  and  1  believe  from  Australia,  Jajian,  and 
China  as  well. 

''O  young  men  who  are  going  to  live  twenty,  thirty, 
forty,  and  fifty  years,  I  envy  you  for  what  you  will  see. 
Think,  dear  friends,  of  the  men  we  have  had  here — of 
Brainerd,  of  McBurney,  of  Morse,  of  See,  of  Cree,  of 
Hall,  and  of  a  host  of  others.  Do  not  forget  that  the 
responsibility  lies  with  you,  and  if  you  will  meet  it 
like  men,  you  will  see  fifty  years  from  now  a  work 
which  is  today  beyond  our  imagination." 


Ill 


HIS      FTFTY-FOUR      YEARS      TX      THE      NEAV 
YORK  CITY  ASSOCIATION   FELLOWSHIP 

Morn  AY  Williams 

To  one  at  all  familiar  with  the  life  and  history  of 
New  York  City,  it  is  a  strange  and  yet  a  fascinating 
picture  that  is  brought  to  mind  as  one  attempts  to  con- 
jure up  the  New  York  of  the  period  when  Mr.  Stokes, 
as  a  boy  of  some  nineteen  years  of  age,  began  his  work 
in  connection  with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, and  for  such  a  one  it  would  be  difTicult  to  deter- 
mine whether,  in  contrast  with  the  present,  the  city, 
the  country,  or  the  Association,  had  changed  the  most. 

The  Association  came  into  being — and  it  is  with  its 
very  beginning  that  Mr.  Stokes  was  first  associated — 
while  the  irrepressible  conflict  was  fermenting,  but 
had  not  yet  reached  the  state  of  open  schism  between 
North  and  South.  Farseeing  men  throughout  the  laud 
had  premonitions  of  the  coming  strife  but  no  clear 
vision,  and  New  York  City,  already  the  chief  commer- 
cial metropolis  of  the  western  world,  though  not  a  tithe 
of  its  present  size  either  in  area  or  in  population,  was 
I)erhaps  as  little  committed  to  one  side  or  the  other 
as  any  city  in  the  country.  In  trade  it  was  closely 
allied  with  the  southern  states  and  many  of  its  leading 
merchants  were  by  social  and  family  ties  even  more  in- 
timately bound  to  the  leaders  of  what  later  became  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  On  the  other  hand,  the  aboli- 
tion movement,  so  strong  in  the  New  England  states, 

26 


TN  THE  NEW  YOKK  FELLOWSIIir  27 

luxl  very  numoroiis  and  very  ardeiil  sii})j)()i-ters  in  New 
York  City  and  these  lar}»ely  among  the  ehMreh«^()ing 
folk.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  to  find,  as  Mr. 
Stokes  has  pointed  out  in  the  all  too  brief  notes  which 
he  left  of  the  early  days,  that  one  of  the  earliest  obsta- 
cles which  the  Association,  newly  transplanted  from 
England,  had  to  meet  was  the  divergence  of  view  on  the 
slavery  question,  as  to  which  good  citizens  and  Chris- 
tian men  were  so  widely  separated. 

Nor  was  this  the  only  problem  which  New  York  City 
presented  to  the  new  organization.  Even  at  that  day 
New  York  was  becoming  both  as  a  i)ort  of  entry  and  as 
a  trade  center  one  of  the  most  cosmopolitan  of  cities. 
From  the  southern  states  it  received  not  only  the  influ- 
ences which  allied  it  with  the  southern  whites  and  their 
cause,  but  also  thousands  of  Negroes,  free  blacks  and 
refugee  slaves,  and  from  across  the  Atlantic  an  ever- 
increasing  tide  of  immigration.  But  a  few  years  be- 
fore, the  potato  famine  in  Ireland,  as  to  which  Anthony 
Trollope  has  left  such  interesting  reminiscences,  had 
caused  the  emigration  from  tlie  Emerald  Isle  to  reach 
its  height,  and  a  very  large  nundier  of  these  Irish  im- 
migrants nuide  tlieir  home  in  the  port  city  they  first 
entered,  while  a  considerable  though  less  fluctuating 
number  of  immigrants  from  England,  Scotland,  France, 
and  Germany  also  found  in  New  York  City  a  home.  In 
this  Corinth  of  the  New  World  there  was  gathered, 
therefore,  a  great  heterogeneous  multitude  of  people, 
white  and  black,  English  and  foreign  si)eaking,  of  many 
faiths  and  of  none,  among  whom  the  newly  born  Asso- 
ciation was  to  find  its  work  and  its  workers. 

For  its  founders  and  directors,  however,  it  looked  nat- 
urally to  the  leaders  in  the  business  world  of  that  day. 
The   English   Association,   which   was   its   inspiration 


28  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

and  prototype,  was,  as  is  well  known,  the  offspring  of 
the  genius  and  devotion  of  Mr.,  afterwards  Sir,  George 
Williams,  originally  a  clerk  in  the  London  house  of 
Hitchcock,  Williams  &  Co.,  and  it  found  its  work  at 
first  almost  exclusively  among  young  men  in  commer- 
cial pursuits.  It  was  most  natural,  then,  that  the 
New  York  Association  should  seek,  not  unsuccessfully, 
for  its  organizers  and  supporters  among  the  same  class 
in  New  York  City,  and  it  was  a  great  list  of  names  upon 
which  it  drew.  The  names  of  Phelps,  Dodge,  Stokes, 
Jesup,  and  others  were  already  well  known  in  business 
life,  but  it  is  to  their  credit  and  that  of  the  Association 
that  today  they  are  remembered  chiefly  for  their  phi- 
lanthropies and  their  religious  activities.  To  them 
were  added  from  time  to  time  men  from  other  lines  of 
business,  Frank  W.  Ballard,  a  young  insurance  man, 
Cephas  Brainerd,  a  lawyer,  and  others  too  many  to 
set  forth  by  name.  It  was  with  this  company  that 
James  Stokes,  at  that  time  a  very  young  man,  allied 
himself  and  he  soon  became  one  of  the  most  active  men 
in  the  movement. 

In  the  history  as  in  the  life  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  it  is  one  of  the  witnesses  to  its 
essential  reality  and  vitality  that  the  figure  of  no  one 
man  can  be  made  to  stand  single  and  alone  dominating 
the  entire  field,  for  it  is  of  the  very  genius  of  the  or- 
ganization that  it  is  an  Association,  not  the  work  of 
one  for  all  but  the  work  of  all  for  each.  No  man  would 
more  gladly  have  acknowledged  this  than  James  Stokes 
and  no  true  friend  and  admirer  of  his  would  CTideavor 
to  claim  for  him  exclusive  credit  for  his  large  share  in 
shaping  the  New  York  Association  in  its  early  days. 
Rather  is  it  both  wise  and  right  to  point  out  how  from 
the  very  first  it  was  his  i)ower  of  cooperating  with 


IN  TIIIC  Ni:W  YORK  FELLOWSHll'  21) 

others  that  enabled  him  to  accomplish  the  great  thiugs 
that  he  did  for  the  orgauization. 

Now,  while  as  has  been  intimated,  the  directorate  of 
the  Association  was  drawn  largely  if  not  almost  ex- 
clusively from  leading  business  men  of  the  city,  the 
work  was  among  young  men  of  all  classes,  many  of  them 
not  at  all  native  to  the  place,  but  new  arrivals  in  both 
city  and  country.  Among  the  very  first  to  become  inter- 
ested in  the  work  was  a  young  Scotch-Irishman,  Robert 
K.  McBurney,  and  though  by  fortune,  circumstances, 
and  early  training  widely  separated  from  James  Stokes, 
perhaps  no  man  exercised  a  stronger  influence  on  him 
than  did  Robert  McBurney.  Yet,  strangely  enough,  at 
the  beginning  it  was  rather  Stokes  who  held  McBurney 
to  the  Association  than  McBurney  Stokes.  For  a  time 
Mr.  McBurney  acted  as  secretary,  then,  because  he  had 
his  way  to  make  and  his  living  to  earn,  he  accepted  a 
business  position  offered  to  him  in  Philadelphia.  Later, 
dissatisfied  with  the  work  in  the  Quaker  City,  he  re- 
turned to  New  Y'ork  and  at  the  solicitation  of  Mr. 
Stokes  accepted  the  position  of  secretary  of  the  New 
Y^ork  Association  as  his  life  work,  and  what  a  work 
it  was! 

It  was  not  the  writer's  privilege  to  know  him  in  the 
very  earliest  years  as  did  Mr.  Stokes,  but  memory  trav- 
els back  over  more  than  half  a  century  to  the  rooms 
in  the  second  story  of  the  building  on  22nd  Street  and 
Fifth  Aveuue,  before  the  building  at  23rd  Street  and 
Fourth  Avenue  was  erected,  and  the  picture  of  McBur- 
ney comes  back  to  me  across  the  years.  Those  were 
pleasant  rooms,  homelike  and  attractive,  with  some  of 
the  pictures  hanging  on  the  walls  that  later  were  trans- 
ferred to  23rd  Street;  and  if  the  portraits  of  the  old 
New  Y'^ork  merchants  and  the  huge  canvases  of  Cole's 


,30       JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

Voynge  of  Life  were  not  the  uiaslerpieces  that  tbey 
seemed  to  my  boyish  eyes,  there  was  a  geuuine  and  mas- 
terful presence  in  the  rooms  in  the  personality  of  the 
secretary.  In  those  days  I  knew  Mr.  McBurney  only  as 
a  boy  knows  an  older  man,  and  ni}'  acquaintance  with 
the  rooms  was  chiefly  because  the  church  of  which  my 
father  was  pastor  used  them  for  a  time  as  a  meeting 
phice;  but  later,  in  college  days  and  when  the  Associa- 
tion had  removed  to  its  then  new  building  on  23rd 
Street,  I  came  to  know  botli  ^McBurney  and  Stokes  bet- 
ter and  it  was  an  interesting  study  to  note,  on  the  one 
hand,  the  wide  divergence,  and,  on  the  other,  the  almost 
unconscious  assimilation  of  tlie  two  men,  so  unlike  in 
native  character  and  early  training,  so  really  one  in 
purpose  and  main  interest  in  life.  What  was  the  bond 
that  could  unite  three  such  diverse  person.alities  as 
those  of  Robert  McBurney,  Association  secretary  on  a 
modest  salary  and  confirmed  bachelor  as  he  was;  Ce- 
phas Brainerd,  a  man  with  a  growing  family  and  a 
large  law  practice,  a  bookish  man  and  something  of  an 
eccentric ;  and  James  Stokes,  scion  of  a  well-known  and 
wealthy  family,  a  man  of  affairs  and  of  society?  Not 
uniformity  of  environment  certainly;  not  identity,  or 
even  similarity,  of  opinion,  for  to  the  casual  observer 
like  myself  they  seemed  to  dilfer  frequently  and  sharply. 
It  was  the  constant  consciousness  that  thej'  were  all 
servants  of  one  Master  and  that  the  supreme  business 
of  each  was  His  business,  that  in  Him  and  with  Him 
they  were  co-workers  with  one  another,  losing  none  of 
their  individuality,  but  merging  in  a  common  task  their 
several  wills. 

Nothing  in  the  history  of  the  beginnings  of  the  New 
York  Association  is  more  remarkable  and  more  en- 
couraging than  the  way  in  which  character  interplayed 


IX  Tin:  Ni:\v  vokk  fkllowshii'       ;n 

u\H)U  cliai'Mclei*  and  the  fellowship  of  service  brought 
out  the  salient  features  of  each  individual  in  the  com- 
mon work.  Indeed  that  was  the  chief  contribution 
which  the  Association  made  to  the  Christian  life  of  the 
community  in  those  early  <iays.  The  spiritual  life  of 
the  churches,  rich  and  deep  as  it  often  was,  was  the 
life  of  a  family  or  a  tribe;  the  Association  overstepped 
these  local  boundary  walls  and  reemphasized  the  dis- 
cipleshij)  of  service  in  cooperation.  It  was  in  many 
resi)ects  a  new  sending  forth  of  the  seventy,  not  an 
apostolate  but  a  mission  of  service,  and  it  reached  all 
classes  and  conditions.  In  the  case  of  James  Stokes, 
it  was  as  if  the  rich  young  ruler,  whom  the  Master 
looking  upon  loved,  instead  of  turning  away  because 
he  had  great  possessions,  had  joined  himself  to  the 
seventy  and  gone  forth  on  the  allied  ministry.  The 
three  men  above  named,  Stokes,  McBurney,  and  Brain- 
erd,  all  contributed  greatly  to  the  organization,  each 
in  his  own  way,  and  yet  none  of  them  could  have  made 
his  contribution  without  the  others.  Both  their  dis- 
similarities and  their  sympathies  enhanced  their  con- 
ti'ibutions,  for  in  the  constant  association  of  men  in  a 
common  work  both  the  iiower  generated  by  friction  and 
the  results  produced  by  refraction  and  reflection  have 
their  place :  ''Iron  sharpeneth  iron ;  so  a  man  sharp- 
eneth  the  countenance  of  his  friend.  ...  As  in  water 
face  answereth  to  face,  so  the  heart  of  man  to  man." 
Even  so  it  was  with  the  band  of  beginners :  their  very 
divergencies  of  view  as  to  social  matters,  politics,  and 
church  government  conduced  to  their  strength  in  their 
united  work.  The  city  was  cosmopolitan,  the  churches 
conservative.  If  the  Association  was  to  make  its  way  it 
must  recognize  both  states  of  existence.  It  must  take 
what  was;  true  but  isolated  in  the  churches  and  bring 


32  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEIi:R 

it  to  those  who  were  needy  but  estranged  in  the  city, 
and  these  men  did  it. 

The  original  conception  of  Association  worli  was,  as 
stated  before,  work  for  the  clerk  class,  but  New  York 
City  was  something  more  than  a  department  store.  The 
Civil  War  had  forced  the  race  issue  to  the  front  and 
naturally  the  question  arose.  What  shall  we  do  for  the 
Negro?  The  city  was  the  great  port  of  entry  for  the 
world,  and  every  nation  formed  a  little  colony  of  its 
own  in  the  rapidly  increasing  metroi)olis,  which  with 
its  jjolyglot  dialects  threatened  to  become  a  new  Babel; 
should  the  New  York  Association  as  it  was  English  in 
origin  remain  English-si)eakiiig  only?  The  churches 
provided  places  for  worship  and  i)rayer  but  they  did 
not  provide,  nor  at  that  day  did  they  deem  it  any  part 
of  their  duty  to  provide,  places  of  amusement  and  social 
intercourse  or  even  for  technical  instruction  for  young 
men;  was  there  any  call  for  service  here?  Such  were 
some  of  the  questions  which  almost  immediately  pre- 
sented themselves  to  the  little  band  of  men  to  whom 
was  committed  the  direction  of  the  Association,  and  it 
is  interesting  to  note  how  intimate  and  vital  was  the 
connection  of  Mr.  Stokes  with  the  working  answer 
which  the  Association  attempted  to  give  to  each.  In 
the  establishment  of  the  Colored  Branch,  the  German 
Branch,  and  the  French  Branch,  and  in  the  erection  of 
the  great  building  at  23rd  Street  and  Fourth  Avenue, 
which  provided  facilities  both  for  amusement  and  for 
study,  he  was  among  the  foremost  in  inspiration,  in  con- 
tributions of  time,  of  money,  and  of  services.  But  not 
less  marked  than  his  own  interest  was  the  way  in  which, 
as  is  clearly  indica.ted  in  the  notes  he  has  left,  he  in- 
stinctively turned  at  the  beginning  of  each  new  effort 
to  seek  the  cooperation  of  others,  and  in  almost  each 


IN  THE  NEW  YORK  FELLOWSHIP  83 

instance  he  was  successful  in  interesting  some  man  in 
the  new  phase  of  work.  One  Instance  may  suffice  as  an 
illustration.  At  a  convention  held  in  Cleveland,  Mr. 
Stokes  came  in  contact  with  Mr.  Henry  Stager,  who 
was  actively  engaged  in  work  for  railroad  men  and 
communicated  his  interesl  in  that  work  to  Mr.  Stokes. 
With  the  latter  interest  meant  action;  and  he  at  once 
began  to  lay  plans  to  interest  Mr.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt 
in  w'ork  for  the  railroad  men  connected  with  the  New 
York  Central  Railroad.  His  plans  were  successful  and 
as  an  outcome  of  them  not  only  was  the  Railroad 
Branch  established  but  Mr.  Vanderbilt's  own  long  and 
valued  service  to  the  Association  was  secured. 

In  the  building  of  the  home  for  the  Association  at 
23rd  Street  and  Fourth  Avenue  Mr.  Stokes  took  great 
interest,  contributing  not  only  time  and  money  but 
wise  forethought.  The  problems  to  be  met  were  many 
and  perplexing,  since  the  building  was  to  be  new  in 
design  as  well  as  in  construction,  and  so  it  proved  to 
be  a  model  for  similar  buildings  elsewhere.  In  those 
days  the  construction  of  a  building  which  was  to  be 
under  distinctly  religious  auspices  and  was  yet  to  par- 
take in  some  respects  at  least  of  the  nature  of  a  club 
was  not  only  a  novel  project,  but  one  which  to  the 
superheated  imagination  of  some  zealots  seemed  to  sug- 
gest an  alliance  between  Jehovah  and  Belial,  between 
the  stern  simjilicity  of  the  Ten  Commandments  and  the 
lax  morality  of  an  Assyrian  code.  Well  does  the  writer 
recall  the  elaborate  defense  in  the  nature  of  an  Apo- 
logia, offered  by  Mr.  Cej)has  Brainerd  at  an  early  meet 
ing  in  Association  Hall,  for  the  gymnasium,  with  its 
lockers,  and  above  all  a  bowling  alley !  Tnily  the  New 
Y'ork  of  those  days  was  not  the  city  of  today.  But 
to  the  beginners  of  the  New  Y'ork  Association  there  was 


34  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

committed  in  the  providence  of  God  the  problem  of  the 
leisure  hours  of  the  strange  lad  in  a  great  city:  how 
was  he  to  be  attracted,  how  received,  how  entertained, 
how  employed,  how  taught?  It  was  not  merely  a  choice 
between  the  Church  on  the  one  hand  and  the  saloon 
and  the  brothel  ou  the  other,  but  the  more  difficult 
problems  of  reconciling  the  hall  bedroom  with  the  de- 
velopment of  spiritual  and  intellectual  life.  The 
square  building  on  the  southwest  corner  of  2'.ird  Street 
and  Fourth  Avenue  was  a  concrete  attempt  at  the  solu- 
tion of  the  problem.  It  was  not  a  thing  of  architec- 
tural beauty,  and  measured  by  many  standards  would 
be  found  wanting,  but  it  was  a  meeting  i)lace  for  men, 
and  its  long  and  weary  flight  of  stone  stei»s  to  reception 
room  and  lecture  hall  was  transformed  by  the  magic 
of  the  Gospel  into  a  ladder  set  upon  earth  to  heaven  to 
many  a  homeless  lad  just  as  truly  as  were  Jacob's 
stones  at  Bethel.  Of  course  that  which  made  the  old  2:ird 
Street  rooms  the  power  they  were  in  the  lives  of  many 
men  was  the  personality  of  men  like  McBurney  and  his 
associates,  but  the  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  their 
influence  was  provided  by  the  equipment  and  environ- 
ment, and  both  equipment  and  environment  were  the 
result  of  the  tact,  foresight,  and  brotherly  sj'mpathy 
not  only  of  McBurney  himself  but  of  his  co-workers, 
not  the  least  of  whom  was  James  Stokes.  The  theory 
embodied  in  the  old  23rd  Street  biiilding  and  repro- 
duced in  many  others  since,  was  that  the  secretariat, 
the  official  and  volunteer  force  that  met  the  men  w^hen 
they  first  entered  the  building,  should  not  only  be  by 
location  of  necessity  the  first  to  welcome  the  stranger, 
but  should  also  be  the  center  from  which  all  the  activi- 
ties, recreative  and  educational,  should  radiate.  Per- 
sonality, working  out  through  various  agencies  and  in  a 


IN  TIIIO   XKW  YORK   FF.LLOWSllI  I'  :5r> 

multiplicity  of  loiins,  was  the  j)()wcr  tliat  was  to  win 
aud  to  develo])  personality,  life  was  to  propagate  lii'e, 
and  was  itself  to  be  informed  and  vivilied  by  the  Light 
of  Life,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Hence  all  the  rooms  of 
the  Association,  lecture  hall,  parlors,  gymnasium, 
library,  and  classrooms,  led  off  from  the  reception 
room,  wliicli  was  the  secretary's  office;  like  the  ancient 
temple,  the  plan  of  the  building  was  a  type  of  its  work. 
To  attemi)t  further  to  enumerate  in  detail  the  work 
accomplished  by  Mr.  Stokes  in  his  almost  lifelong  serv- 
ice with  the  New  York  Association  would  transcend 
both  the  abilities  of  the  writer  and  the  modest  limits 
of  this  chapter,  but  it  would  be  neither  just  to  him  nor 
to  the  Master  whom  he  so  long  aud  faithfully  served 
were  not  the  attention  of  the  reader  directed  to  what 
may  be  termed  the  negative  as  well  as  the  positive 
achievements  of  his  life — 

"Not  on   the  mass   called  work 
Must  sentence  pass." 

It  was  in  what  he  did  not  do,  quite  as  much  as  in  what 
he  did  that  James  Stokes  accomplished  a  life.  Born 
to  wealth  and  to  an  assured  position  it  would  have  been 
a  natural  course — some  would  have  us  believe  an  inev- 
itable course — to  have  used  both  wealth  and  position 
to  gratify  his  i)ersonal  tastes  and  ambitions.  A  rich 
man's  sou,  if  not  like  many  another  a  prodigal,  he 
might  at  least  have  imitated  the  elder  son  in  the  par- 
able and  refused  to  interest  himself  in  those  who  Vvere 
in  want,  but  like  his  Master,  he  pleased  not  himself 
and  for  the  Master's  reason.  Conceiving  himself  to  be 
by  the  gi-ace  of  that  Master  a  son  of  God,  he  took  as  his 
rule  of  life  his  Lord's  "Not  to  do  mine  own  will  but  the 
will  of  Him  that  sent  me,''  aud  therefore  his  life  was  a 


:\r>  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

devoted  life.  More  than  this,  he  realized  that  his  life 
was  a  communicated  life,  that  its  motive  power  lay 
without  and  beyond  himself;  that  the  corn  of  wheat 
except  it  fall  into  the  ground  and  die  abideth  alone, 
and  only  truly  lives  when  others  live  through  it.  Hence 
he  sought  not  only  to  serve  others,  but  to  serve  with 
others  and  through  others,  for  this  is  the  communion  of 
saints,  the  sharing  of  the  Bread  of  Life,  and  for  James 
Stokes  the  work  of  the  New  York  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  was  one  form  of  that  high  communion. 
When  the  Mdre  Angelique  during  the  persecution  of 
the  Jansenists  was  asked  in  mockery  to  what  order 
she  belonged  she  replied  in  words  which  have  become 
immortal,  "I  belong  to  the  order  of  all  the  saints,  and 
all  the  saints  are  of  my  order."  It  was  the  simple  but 
confident  belief  in  the  truth  thus  asserted  which  en- 
abled James  Stokes  and  his  associates  to  transform  that 
ancient  affirmation  into  a  new  and  vital  organization. 

A  Tribute  by  a  Fellow-Director 

At  the  services  in  memory  of  Mr.  Stokes  held  in  the 
French  Branch  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  November  24, 
1918,  Mr.  William  H.  Sage,  one  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  who  had  known  Mr.  Stokes  for  over 
forty  years,  and  was  in  intimate  association  with  him 
in  his  work  as  a  member  of  that  Board,  and  thus  was 
possessed  of  a  very  complete  knowledge  of  Mr.  Stokes's 
services  in  the  constructive  development  of  the  New 
York  City  Association,  gave  the  following  striking 
appreciation  and  tribute : 

"I  do  not  know  when  Mr.  Stokes  became  a  member  of 
the  Association,  but  he  became  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Directors  fifty-four  years  ago.     Think  of  it,  over 


IN  Tin:  xi:\v  vork  fiollowsuip       37 

half  a  century  ago!  hi  18(l(>,  two  years  afterwards,  he 
was  associated  with  eighteen  men  who  incorporated  the 
Young  Men's  Cliristian  Association  of  the  City  of  New 
Vork,  an<l  he  was  the  last  survivor  of  that  group  of 
illustrious  men.  They  were  all  young  men  at  that  time 
— very  young — luit  from  the  character  of  the  men  their 
careers  could  have  heen  foretold.  Listen  to  the  names: 
John  S.  Kennedy,  L.  Bolton  Bangs,  J.  IMerpont  Mor- 
gan, Morris  K.  Jesup,  William  10.  Dodge,  Kobert  K. 
McBurney,  Cephas  Brainerd,  and  I  might  go  on  through 
the  entire  list  and  you  would  recognize  them  as  house- 
hold names  in  New  York  City.  The  character  and 
broad  views  of  the  men  who  organized  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  as  a  corporation  tifty-two  years 
ago  molded  the  history  of  our  Association  at  its 
inception. 

"Mr.  Stokes  was  a  member  of  our  Board  continu- 
ously for  tlial  long  time,  constant  in  his  attendance, 
constant  in  the  i)errormance  of  his  duties.  He  was  also 
a  member  and  trustee  of  the  International  Committee 
from  its  inception. 

'"As  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  Mr.  Stokes 
exhibited  one  trait  that  I  think  endeared  him  to  the 
older  members  of  the  Board  more  than  any  other,  and 
that  was  tliis :  He  stood  inflexibly  for  the  fundamental 
creed  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  as  laid 
down  in  the  Paris  convention,  1855,  which  was,  in  brief, 
'Taking  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  our  Saviour  and  ex- 
ample we  associate  ourselves  together  for  the  spread 
of  His  kingdom  among  young  men.'  He  never  deviated 
one  jot  from  that  standard,  and  whatever  function  of 
the  Association  was  proposed  in  order  to  attract  young 
men  he  always  applied  this  test:  Is  it  something  that 
will    spread    Christ's    Kingdom,  among    young    men? 


38  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

Therefore  Mr.  Stokes  was  very  often  alarmed  at  the 
different  activities  developed  in  the  branches  of  the 
Association,  and  often  expressed,  in  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors, his  fear  that  these  activities,  although  they  were 
excellent  in  their  way,  were  not  directly  conducive  to 
the  conversion  of  young  men  to  the  religion  of  Christ. 
He  alwa^'s  insisted  upon  the  supreme  importance  of 
the  religious  mission  of  the  Association.  We  all  re- 
member his  long  controversy  about  Springfield  Col- 
lege, for  he  feared  that  that  school,  which  graduates 
men  who  are  expected  to  be  the  secretaries  of  the  Asso- 
ciations, was  drawing  away  from  the  true  doctrine  of 
Christ,  notably  the  atonement.  The  last  matter  that 
attracted  his  attention  was  the  movement  to  link  the 
Young  Men's  and  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations together  in  their  recreations,  and  the  sugges- 
tion made  that  we  might  have  some  building  where 
dancing  could  be  had.  Mr.  Stokes  took  very  strong 
ground  against  the  suggestion  and  came  to  me  after- 
wards and  said,  'I  don't  want  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
any  innocent  enjoyment  of  young  men  and  young 
women,  but  as  trustee  of  an  organization  that  was 
founded  for  the  sole  purpose  (►f  enlarging  Christ's  King- 
dom among  young  men,  I  do  not  see  that  any  such  thing 
as  dancing  is  a  proper  activity  for  us  to  indulge  in.' 

"You  have  heard  about  his  distinguished  services 
abroad.  It  was  through  Mr.  Stokes  that  the  German 
Branch  was  founded  in  this  city^  on  Second  Avenue; 
it  was  largely  through  Mr.  Stokes's  work  with  Mr.  Cor- 
nelius Vanderbilt  that  the  Railroad  Branch  was  started 
for  railroad  employes.  The  French  Branch  was  or- 
ganized by  him.  His  life  was  made  up  of  ceaseless  labor 
in  spreading  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association.     This  was  his  service  to  his  Master  and 


IN  THE  NEW  YORK  FELLOWSHIP  30 

tor  such  iiarticiihu'  hibor  he  was  preeminently  fitted. 
'*But  it  seems  to  me  that  all  our  tribute  to  Mr.  Stokes 
for  his  distinguished  services  of  this  character  is  cold 
and  inadeqnale,  for  on  this  memorial  occasion  we 
want  (()  express  what  is  in  all  our  hearts — the  love  we 
bore  to  him  individually.  No  one  could  come  in  con- 
tact with  Mr.  Stokes  without  seeing  lliat  his  i)erson- 
ality  was  i)ernieated  wi(h  a  love  of  his  fellowmen.  He 
had,  beyond  his  intellectual  accomplishments,  a  loving 
heart,  and,  although  he  was  a  nuMid)er  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  whose  function  is  to  advise  and  to  direct, 
his  ever-present  thought  was,  'Let  me  shake  the  young 
men  by  the  hand,  and  let  me  have  a  quiet  talk  with  each 
individual  to  find  out  what  his  trouble  is,  and  how  I 
can  help  him.'  No  one  will  know  the  many,  many 
deeds  of  individual  kindness  that  Mr.  Stokes  did  for 
distressed  young  men.  I  have  heard  that  a  distin- 
guished philanthro])ist  of  New  York  hired  a  room  in 
the  tenement  house  district  on  the  East  Side  and  went 
there  incognito  to  get  acquainted  with  the  people  in 
order  to  know  their  wants  and  to  render  personal  serv- 
ice to  each  according  to  his  need.  Mr.  James  Colgate 
once  told  me  that  the  thing  that  counted  as  the  best 
charital)le  work  was  the  personal  work  that  a  man  did 
for  individuals,  to  help  physical  and  spiritual  distress. 
Mr.  Stokes  profoundly  so  believed,  and  his  loving  heart 
led  him  into  that  kind  of  work.  Read  his  wdll.  That 
shows  it.  See  what  provisions  he  made  for  poor  young 
men,  and  it  was  this  that  shone  out  through  his  per- 
sonality as  we  of  the  Board  of  Directors  came  in  con- 
tact with  him.  Love  for  his  fellowmen  was  never  ended 
with  Mr.  Stokes,  and  it  was  this  pure  light  shining 
within  that  made  him  such  an  attractive  person  to 
us  all. 


40  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"I  do  not  believe  any  Association  man  was  better  or 
more  widely  known  or  led  a  more  distinguished  life; 
and  his  name  will  go  down  in  the  history  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  as  one  of  our  most  useful 
and  forceful  men.  To  most  of  us,  hovrever,  it  is  given 
(o  lead  humdrum,  commonplace  lives.  We  go  to  our 
daily  tasks,  we  do  our  little  work  for  the  Master,  and 
we  rest  at  night;  but  let  us  not  forget  this — and  it  is 
the  one  thing,  my  friends,  tliat  Mr.  Stokes  found  out 
and  that  made  his  daily  task  an  insi)iration — that  the 
love  of  Christ  in  the  heart  illumines  the  daily  life  of 
His  followers  and  that  no  man's  life  is  common  or  com- 
monplace which  is  illumined  with  the  love  of  Christ.'' 


French  Bkanth,  New  York  City 
Distinmiislied  mon  wore  present  at  its  opening,  includinu;  official 
representatives  of  Russia,  Italy,  France,  Belgium,  Peru,  Cuba,  the 
Arj2:entine  Republic,  Department  of  State,  the  Navy  and  the  Arm.v 
of  the  United  States,  and  Hishop  Potter  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 
Rev.  Hotoxitzky  of  the  Russian  Cathedral,  and  Rabbi  Silverman. 


IV 


JAMES  STOKES  AND  THE  ASSOCIATION  WORK 
AMONG  KAILROAD  MEN 

George  A,  Warhurton 

There  is  always  au  element  of  romance  in  whatever 
is  connecte<i  with  the  railway.  However  prosaic  other 
realms  of  life  may  be,  rapid  transportation  will  always 
awaken  wonder  and  excite  general  interest.  Time  and 
space  are  reduced  and  contracted  and  with  this,  nov- 
elty and  danger  go  hand  in  hand.  The  hnnmn  element 
in  railway  life  and  operation  is  always  the  attractive 
thing.  The  traditional  locomotive  engineer,  peering 
into  the  night  with  his  hand  on  the  throttle,  while  his 
train  "burns  a  hole  in  the  darkness"  with  the  speed  of 
a  mile  a  minute,  is  hardly  more  compelling  to  the  inter- 
est of  men  than  is  the  financial  genius,  or  the  capable 
executive  officer,  who  guides  the  corporation  or  man- 
ages the  army  of  employes.  The  railway  enterprise  is 
so  colossal  and  its  ramifications  so  vast  that  people  all 
regard  it  with  wonder  and  are  interested  in  whatever 
has  to  do  with  it. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  a  man  of  Mr. 
Stokes's  vision  should  have  been  attracted  by  the  Rail- 
road Association  movenjent  as  soon  as  it  began  to  ap- 
pear on  the  Association  horizon.  As  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  International  Committee 
he  was  aware  of  the  beginnings  of  this  new  and  strange 
type  of  religious  work  amongst  the  employes  of  the 

41 


42  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

railways  centering  iu  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  he  knew  how 
difficult  it  seemed  to  persuade  the  Association  authori- 
ties to  give  the  new  enterprise  any  place  upon  llio  pro- 
gram of  the  Inlernatioual  Convention.  The  peculiarly 
aggressive,  evangelistic  type  of  the  early  Railroad  As- 
sociation movement  a])poaled  strongly  to  Mr,  Stokes. 
The  movement  originated  in  the  conversion  of  a  rail- 
road man  whose  life  had  been  dissipated  and  who  had 
been  led  to  trust  in  and  follow  Christ.  Victory  having 
come  into  his  own  experience,  he  was  anxious  that  his 
fellow-railroad  men  should  enter  into  the  enjoyment 
of  a  similar  triumph. 

The  typical  railroad  man  of  the  early  seventies  was 
j)icturesque,  daring,  clannish,  and  i)eculiarly  suscep- 
tible to  those  influences  of  moral  degeneration  which 
spring  up  in  new  communities,  and  are  most  potent  in 
the  life  of  men  who  spend  much  of  their  time  away 
from  home.  Railways  were  being  rapidly  extended. 
The  elements  of  danger  which  are  in  war,  in  life  on  the 
sea,  and  on  the  frontiers  of  new  countries,  were  to  be 
found  on  the  road.  The  engineer  handling  the  throttle, 
the  conductor  controlling  the  movements  of  the  train, 
the  baggageman,  muscular  and  secluded  in  the  midst 
of  his  trunks,  the  brakeman  calling  out  the  stations,  the 
switchman  in  the  terminal  yard,  the  telegrai)h  ojjcrator 
ticking  out  the  superintendent's  orders,  the  dispatcher 
watching  the  operation  of  his  division,  even  the  news- 
boy with  his  baskets  of  goodies  and  his  uniform,  caught 
the  imagination  of  youths  of  daring  and,  combined  with 
the  sense  of  novelty  and  freedom,  led  them  into  rail- 
road life. 

The  men  were  a  rollicking,  boisterous  lot,  higher  in 
type  than  miners  or  lumberjacks,  but  with  many  traits 
iu  common.    Their  life  tended  to  develop  their  disposi- 


AMONd  RAILROAD  MEN  43 

tion  to  abandon  and  reckless  dai-ing.  Home  restraints 
were  withdrawn  and  irregular  habits  resulted  from  ir- 
regular houi's.  The  excitement  ol"  their  calling  kept 
them  keyed  uj*  during  long  hours  of  labor,  drained  their 
vitality,  and  was  followed  by  abuormal  lassitude  and 
weariness.  It  is  no  wonder  that  stimulants  made  a 
sj)ecial  api)eal  to  such  men,  or  that  the  gr(»sser  forms 
of  sin  became  loo  often  their  common  habit.  The  loca- 
tion of  a  new  town  which  was  to  be  a  railway  terminal 
was  not  welcome  to  the  people  of  the  vicinity,  because 
of  the  reputation  of  railroad  men  for  drunkenness  and 
immorality.  In  fact,  the  three  vices  of  intemperance, 
impurity,  and  gambling  were  common,  and  were  not 
subject  to  modern  restraints.  Railroad  discipline  and 
the  strength  of  the  labor  unions,  both  of  which  are 
now  effectively  potent,  had  not  yet  been  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  conduct  of  railroad  employes. 

At  that  time  railroad  schedules  were  not  lived  up  to 
as  they  are  now,  even  by  passenger  trains.  A  freight 
crew  starting  out  with  a  train  never  knew  when  their 
work  would  be  finished,  or  what  hardshij)s  would  be 
met  before  the  run  was  ended.  The  brakeman  did  the 
work  implied  by  his  name,  for  air  brakes  had  not  been 
invented  and  all  trains  were  controlled  by  hand.  In 
summer  heat  and  winter  cold,  on  the  platform  of  the 
coach,  on  top  of  the  freight  car,  or  clinging  to  the  end 
of  a  coal  jimmy,  the  husky  knight  of  the  rail  tugged  and 
twisted  at  the  brake  wheel  until  the  train  finally  jerked 
itself  to  a  stop.  Most  of  the  roads  had  but  single  tracks 
and  there  w^ere  no  block  signals,  the  safety  of  passen- 
gers and  freight  depending  wholly  upon  the  alertness 
and  resourcefulness  of  the  men  who  operated  the  rail- 
roads. These  conditions  all  tended  to  their  insularity 
and  to  the  weakening  of  the  hold  which  all  restraining 


44  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

influences,  exerted  in  ordinary  life  upon  other  men, 
could  have  upon  them. 

It  was  a  man  of  this  type  whose  conversion  from  a 
life  of  sin  resulted  in  the  holding  of  the  religious  meet- 
ing for  railroad  men  in  the  Cleveland  passenger  sta- 
tion in  1872.  One  of  the  Cleveland  ministers,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Chauncey  W,  Goodrich,  was  invited  to  preach  to  a 
railroad  congregation.  Knowing  that  the  habit  of 
churchgoing  had  been  broken  by  the  irregularity  of 
their  hours,  Henry  W.  Stager,  recently  converted,  whose 
idea  the  meeting  was,  hoped  that  by  holding  a  service 
on  railroad  property  and  for  railroad  men  exclusively 
they  and  their  families  might  be  reached.  From  the 
beginning  the  experiment  was  successful.  The  work 
spread  to  Erie  and  other  near-by  railroad  centers.  The 
meetings  were  frequently  held  in  roundhouses,  which 
were  cleared  out  for  the  purpose  and  seated  with 
rough  boards.  The  pastors  of  all  the  cities  cooperated 
heartily,  but  the  work  itself  was  carried  on  chiefly 
by  laymen. 

The  period  was  peculiarly  suited  to  the  spread  of 
such  work.  The  evangelistic  efforts  of  Moody  and 
others  of  his  type  were  just  beginning  to  impress  the 
world,  and  especially  the  Middle  West.  Services  of  an 
unconventional  character  led  by  laymen,  consisting 
chiefly  of  simple  exhortations  and  Bible  expositions, 
with  plenty  of  informal  singing,  were  attracting  wide- 
spread interest  and  attention.  Revival  singing  under 
the  leadership  of  Sankey  and  Bliss  was  popular,  and 
the  informal  character  of  it  fitted  into  the  railroad 
meetings  and  appealed  strongly  to  railroad  men.  The 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  growing  in  pop- 
ular favor  and  winning  strong  and  influential  friends. 
In  many  cities  the  Association  stood  as  the  one  great 


AMONG  KAILKOAl)  MI':N  45 

unifying  religious  force  in  the  midst  of  numerous  de- 
nominations and  sects.  It  became  the  agency  for  all 
sorts  of  good  elforts,  varying  from  the  establishment  of 
Sunday  schools  to  the  relief  of  the  poor.  So  it  came 
to  pass  that  when  the  new  Christian  movement  among 
railroad  men  became  somewhat  unwieldy  by  its  very 
success,  those  in  charge  turned  to  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  as  the  agency  best  suited  to  take 
it  up  and  carry  it  on.  How  wonderfully  the  i)rovidence 
of  God  is  nov>-  seen  in  the  events  of  those  early  days! 

The  first  railroad  branch  organization  was  effected 
in  Cleveland  in  1872,  and  General  J.  H.  Devereaux, 
President  of  the  C.  C.  C.  &  St.  L.  Railway,  a  prominent 
Anglican  layman,  provided  the  headquarters  in  the 
Union  Station.  The  first  secretary  was  Mr.  George 
W.  Cobb.  The  new  movement  was  reported  to  the  In- 
ternational Convention  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  in 
1873,  but  received  only  scant  attention,  no  one  imagin- 
ing that  they  were  witnessing- the  genesis  of  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  adaptations  of  Christianity  to  the 
needs  of  men  that  the  world  has  seen. 

The  Cleveland  organization  was  proving  so  effective 
that  its  reproduction  elsewhere  seemed  very  desirable. 
Mr.  Lang  Shealf,  the  Cleveland  City,  Secretary,  was 
sent  to  tell  the  Cleveland  story  to  other  railroad  cen- 
ters, New  I'ork  among  the  rest.  James  Stokes  was  now 
a  very  active  member  of  the  New  l''ork  Board  and  also 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  International  Com- 
mittee. Largely  through  Mr.  Stokes's  influence,  Mr. 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt  had  become  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  New  York  Association,  and 
from  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt's  Association 
experience  Mr.  Stokes  cultivated  his  interest  and  sought 
to  increase  and  extend  it.    Here  we  come  ui)on  what  is 


46  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

really  the  most  outstaiidinjj?  coiili-ibiition  which  Mr. 
Stokes  made  to  the  Ilailroad  Association  movement,  the 
identification  witli  it  of  Mr.  \'anderbilt,  the  first  rail- 
road officer  of  outstanding  financial  position  to  take  it 
up  and  promote  it. 

Stndents  of  Association  history  will  discover  upon 
every  page  the  outstanding  place  which  influential  and 
consecrated  Christian  laymen  have  occupied  in  its  de- 
velopment. Clergymen  have  rendered  conspicuous  serv- 
ice in  certain  crises,  as  when  Bishop  Potter  defined  the 
work  as  '"for  young  men  by  young  men,"  and  James  M. 
Buckley  and  Howard  Crosby  spoke  strongly  for  its 
evangelical  character.  Biit  laymen  have  always  shaped 
its  policies,  urged  and  supported  its  new  i)hases  of  de- 
velopment, and  given  to  it  tlie  spirit  of  daring  and  cour- 
age with  which,  one  after  another,  its  new  and  untried 
tasks  have  been  faced. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  well  fitted  to  influence  a  man  of  Mr. 
Vanderbilt's  type.  He  belonged  to  a  good  family.  His 
connections  were  with  the  nobility  of  New  York — a 
nobility  not  of  wealth  merely  but  of  Christian  charac- 
ter and  public  service.  Possessing  amj^le  means  and 
high  social  standing,  he  consecrated  them  all  to  the 
service  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  was  a  note  of  sincerity 
and  deep  devotion  to  Christ  in  his  life.  He  belonged 
to  the  intensely  evangelical  school,  but  he  knew  how  to 
enlist  the  cooperation  of  others  who  were  not  prei)ared 
to  follow  him  in  his  distinctive  way  of  expressing  his 
devotion  and  belief.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  was  then 
(1875)  a  youth  beginning  his  career  as  a  railroad  offi- 
cer. The  "Commodore,"  his  grandfather,  was  still  pres- 
ident, and  his  father,  William  H.,  was  vice-president  of 
the  New  York  Central,  the  most  important  Vanderbilt 
line.    Cornelius  was  the  treasurer  of  the  New  York  and 


AMOX(J   KAILKOAl)  MJON  47 

Harlem  Kailioiul.  lie  wass  a  nieiuhei'  of  Saint  Barthol- 
oiuew's  Protestant  Kpisc()i)al  Church,  interested  in  the 
Sunda.v  .school  and  in  other  church  work.  The  Vander- 
bilt  family  had  never  been  actively  and  closely  identi- 
fied with  reliijjious  etVort,  though  the  Commodore  was 
friendly  with  and  assisted  Dr.  Deems  of  the  Church  of 
the  Strangers,  and  William  II.  was  a  supporter  of  Saint 
Bartholomew's.  Cornelius,  who  inherited  from  his 
motlier,  a  queenly  woman,  the  daughter  of  a  clergyman, 
a  deeper  sympathy  with  Christian  work,  was  responsive 
to  the  appeal  of  the  practical  program  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  he  accepted  the  invita- 
tion to  become  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
because  he  was  already  desirous  of  taking  his  proper 
place  as  a  Christian  man  in  the  life  of  the  city.  As  one 
looks  back  upon  the  history  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt's  con- 
nection with  the  Association  and  realizes  how  invalu- 
able that  connection  was,  and  remembers  that  James 
Stokes  was  the  point  of  contact  between  the  Association 
movement  generally  and  the  Railroad  Association  work 
particularly,  and  this  youth  of  such  great  jjotentiality, 
one  feels  justified  in  regarding  the  contribution  made 
by  Mr.  Stokes  in  this  particular  as  among  the  most 
important  of  his  useful  and  effective  life. 

It  is  strange  that  we  so  often  forget  that  the  value 
of  a  man  to  mankind  is  never  to  be  measured  by  the 
service  which  he  is  able  to  render  alone,  but  rather  by 
the  influences  which  his  life  and  actions  set  moving  in 
the  vital  currents  of  the  world.  Behind  every  great 
occasion,  such  as  I*eter's  sermon  at  Pentecost,  is  the 
figure  of  some  brother  or  friend  who  exerts  his  personal 
influence  naturally  and  simply,  often  unaware  that  he 
is  God's  prophet  delivering  God's  message  to  one  that 
He  has  chosen.    It  is  doubtful  if  any  direct  service  reu- 


48  JAMES  STOKES— nONEER 

dered  by  Mr.  Stokes  in  any  of  Ihe  numerous  enterprises 
for  Association  promotion  which  he  fostered  by  his 
means  or  labor  was  more  important  than  his  large  part 
in  laying  hold  of  young  Vanderl)ilt  for  the  Railroad  As- 
sociation work  in  New  York  City. 

Stager  and  Sheaff,  when  they  visited  Xew  York  in 
1875  in  the  interest  of  the  railroad  work  they  were  pro- 
moting, were  men  in  whom  the  romance  of  the  railroad 
was  embodied.  Stager  was  a  train  dispatcher  and  knew 
how  to  make  vivid  the  life  experiences  of  the  men  among 
whom  his  life  was  spent.  Sheaff,  as  the  secretary  of  the 
Cleveland  Association,  was  able  to  tell  of  daily  experi- 
ences in  the  rooms,  at  the  hospitals,  visiting  the  sick 
and  injured,  and  in  the  homes  of  the  men.  His  work 
was  truly  missionary,  but  it  lacked  all  of  the  undesir- 
able elements  of  a  mission.  In  this  resi)ect  the  Associa- 
tion movement  differs  from  the  Railway  Mission  of 
England,  for  that  is  conducted  chiefly  by  friends  of 
railway  men  on  their  behalf,  while  the  Association 
movement  here  from  the  early  days  belonged  to  the  rail- 
roads and  the  railroad  men  themselves.  In  this  is  to 
be  seen  one  of  the  chief  elements  of  its  strength.  It 
enlisted  the  symj)athy  and  cooperation  of  the  men  them- 
selves and  they  felt  a  proprietorship  in  it.  James 
Stokes  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  supporters  of  the 
work  and  in  New  York  labored  with  McBurney  and 
Morse  to  make  it  successful. 

It  is  difficult  now  to  realize  with  what  indifference 
and  susx)icion  a  proposal  to  organize  religious  work 
among  railroad  men  was  met  on  the  part  of  many  oflS- 
cials  and  the  vast  majority  of  the  emjiloyes.  There  was 
no  precedent  to  follow.  The  few  reading  rooms,  libra- 
ries, and  bunk  rooms  which  had  been  opened  on  certain 
railway  lines  had  not  been  successful.     The  idea  of  a 


AM()N(i   KAIJ.KOAI)  MION  49 

corporation  iisinj;  the  funds  of  the  stockholders  for 
any  such  j)uri)ose  was  novel  and,  to  many,  ridiculous. 
Even  when  the  approval  of  officials  had  been  secured 
and  their  consent  to  corporate  support  obtained,  the 
pay  of  the  secretaries  was  freiiuently  provided  sub  rom, 
and  their  names  appeared  upon  the  pay  roll  as  brake- 
men,  firemen,  clerks,  or  conductors — a  method  which 
perhaps  might  be  thought  by  some  to  be  altogether 
questionable.  It  was  not  until  many  years  later  that 
the  apjtropriation  of  money  by  any  railway  company 
was  made  openly,  and  then  it  never  exceeded  fifty 
dollars  a  month !  And  nowhere  was  [)rejudice  deeper 
tlian  in  New  York  Central  circles.  The  i)roblem  was 
large,  involving  precedents  that  might  prove  embarrass- 
ing, and  could  not  be  entered  into  lightly.  The  men 
looked  askance  at  the  i)roi)osal,  fearing  some  infringe- 
ment of  their  rights  or  some  ulterior  motive  on  the  part 
of  the  company.  The  first  i)ublic  meeting  for  railroad 
men  held  in  the  vicinity  was  at  Jersey  City,  and  it  was 
there  that  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  at  the  invitation  of 
Mr,  Morse  heard  Stager  and  Sheaff  tell  their  story. 

Mr.  Stokes  arranged  for  meetings  between  the  depu- 
tation from  Cleveland  and  a  few  influential  New  York- 
ers, and  he  was  fond  of  telling  how  the  dramatic  way 
in  which  Stager  desci'ibed  a  railway  accident  fright- 
ened members  of  his  family  and  led  to  an  outcry  of 
alarm  from  his  mother. 

After  the  meeting  in  Jersey  City,  Mr.  Stokes  joined 
other  Association  leaders  in  bringing  together  Stager, 
Sheaff,  and  Mr.  Vanderbilt.  Morse,  McBurney,  and 
Stokes  were  the  three  whose  influence  was  most  im- 
portant. McBurney,  the  great  General  Secretary  of  the 
New  l^'ork  Associations,  by  his  spirit  and  enthusiasm, 
his  glowing  religious  fervor,  his  warm-hearted  devotion 


50  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

and  unselfi-shuess,  had  won  Mr.  Stokes's  affection  and 
confidence.  Mr.  Vanderbilt  had  also  been  attracted  by 
McBnrnej's  conii)eHing  personality.  iVIorse,  as  Gen- 
eral Secretary  of  the  International  Committee,  was  a 
big  factor  in  inflnencing  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  and  these  two 
outstanding  Association  leaders  joined  Mr.  Stokes  in 
persuading  Mr.  Vanderbilt  to  become  sponsor  lor  this 
new  and  important  undertaking. 

Nowhere  can  young  men  who  desire  to  be  useful  in 
the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  find 
a  better  illustration  of  how  the  technical  knowledge  of 
the  employed  ofificer,  and  the  peculiar  gifts  of  laymen  of 
large  affairs  and  extensive  infiuence,  can  be  combined 
for  the  best  and  most  permanent  results,  than  in  the 
genesis  of  the  railroad  work  in  New  York.  McBurney 
and  Morse  gave  their  leadership,  sympathy,  and  sound 
wisdom — all  that  they  had — and  Stokes  consecrated  his 
powers  to  the  service  of  the  infant  enterprise.  Stager 
and  Sheaff  brought  the  glow  and  freshness  of  a  success- 
ful effort,  with  all  of  the  romance,  novelty,  and  pic- 
turesqueness  of  the  railroad.  Vanderbilt's  surrender 
of  his  will  to  assist  carried  with  it  the  devotion  of  his 
name,  his  influence,  and  his  means.  If  either  of  these 
human  elements  had  been  lacking,  how  different  the 
results  might  have  been !  The  first  fruit  of  this  happy 
combination  of  forces  was  when  he  found  a  room  in 
the  basement  of  the  Grand  Central  Station  in  which 
gospel  meetings  for  railroad  people  were  begun  and  a 
modest  reading  room  opened.  The  room  was  a  long, 
poorly-lighted  affair,  with  a  series  of  vaults  beliind  it. 
These  were  used  as  store  rooms  and  a  small  closet-like 
apartment  was  fitted  up  with  a  couple  of  zinc  bath  tubs, 
supplied  only  with  cold  water  which  was  brought  to 
the  requisite  temj^erature  by  the  injection  of  live  steam 


AM()N(J  KAILKOAI)  MEN  51 

alter  the  tub  luul  been  filled.    Tlie  platform  was  at  one 
side,  aud  over  it  was  paiuted  the  motto : 

"We  live  ...  in  thoughts,  not  breaths; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial. 
.  .  .  lie  most  lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best." 

In  those  days  there  were  no  club  features  in  any 
Railroad  Association.  It  was  in  one  of  the  vaults  con- 
nected with  the  basement  room  of  the  New  York  Rail- 
road Branch  that  the  first  attempt  w^as  made  to  provide 
the  railroad  men  wath  facilities  for  warming  their 
meals.  A  gas  stove  was  installed  and  dishes  provided 
and  the  services  of  a  woman,  the  widow  of  a  railroad 
employe,  secured  to  keep  the  place  tidy.  Out  of  such 
beginnings  have  grown  all  of  the  restaurants,  not  only 
of  the  Railroad  Associations,  but  of  the  City  Associa- 
tions as  well. 

Mr.  Morse  has  told  how  Mr.  Vanderbilt  had  been 
favoi-ably  impressed  with  the  presentation  of  the  Cleve- 
land work  at  the  meeting  in  Jersey  City,  and  the  fact 
that  Mr.  J.  II.  Devereaux,  the  president  of  the  Big  Four 
System, had  befriended  the  Association  at  Cleveland  was 
also  an  influence  in  inducing  Mr.  Vanderbilt  to  become 
identified  with  the  railroad  work  in  Xew  York.  Mr. 
Stokes's  name  appears  as  a  member  of  the  committee 
appointed  to  conduct  the  Railroad  Reading  Room,  for 
this  was  the  early  designation  of  the  Association,  as  it 
was  not  thought  wise  at  first  to  use  the  Association 
name,  and  not  until  the  early  80's  was  the  full  title, 
"Railroad  Branch  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation,-' employed.  Indeed,  we  are  now  told  that  not 
a  few  of  those  then  in  authority  felt  that  it  was  a  tem- 
porary undertaking  which  would  soon  disappear. 


52  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

As  soon  as  entertainments  became  a  factor  of  the 
Grand  Central  work  Mr.  Stokes  entered  actively  into 
that  department,  secnring  the  best  known  amateurs  of 
New  York  to  entertain  the  railroad  men.  In  this  way 
scores  of  New  York's  best  people  came  into  contact  with 
the  railroad  work.  He  also  invited  many  prominent 
railroad  owners  to  attend  these  entertainments  and  the 
various  meetings  and  lectures,  and  so  sought  to  awaken 
their  interest.  Russell  Sage,  Jay  Gould  and  the 
younger  members  of  his  family,  and  Cyrus  W.  Field, 
who  at  one  time  controlled  the  Elevated  Railway  Sys- 
tem, were  among  those  who  first  saw  a  Railroad  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  at  work  in  the  rooms  in 
the  Grand  Central  Station. 

In  influencing  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  Mr.  Stokes  was  influ- 
encing not  only  the  first  conspicuous  railroad  owner  in 
New  York  or  elsewhere  who  had  identified  himself  with 
the  Railroad  Department,  but  one  without  whose  influ- 
ence a  favorable  beginning  would  have  been  impossible. 
The  Railroad  Committee  in  New  York  was  made  up 
entirely  of  business  men,  with  Mr.  Vanderbilt  as  the 
chairman,  and  he  was  for  a  time  the  only  railroad  offi- 
cial of  the  group.  Gradually  the  work  itself  developed, 
and  as  it  did  so  it  found  new  friends  among  the  officials 
and  among  the  men.  Succeeding  the  first  two  genera- 
tions of  the  Vanderbilt  family,  Cornelius  became  the 
head  of  the  Vanderbilt  System.  He  was  soon  (1879) 
elected  a  member  of  the  International  Committee  and 
made  chairman  of  its  subcommittee  on  railroad  work. 
As  the  Association  enlarged  its  operations  his  interest 
in  it  deepened  and  his  personal  and  ollicial  support  was 
given  freely.  One  after  another  Railroad  Associations 
were  formed  at  the  various  terminals  of  the  Vanderbilt 
lines,  and  in  the  early  days  the  support  of  Mr.  Vander- 


^ 


•   > 


» 1 


f  ■ 


if- 


i-:.'1 


New  York  City  Railroad  Association    l'>i  ildixg 

This  beautiful  building,  later 
supplanted  by  the  Park  Avenue 
structure  many  times  its  size, 
was  erected  at  the  personal  ex- 
pense of  Cornelius  \'andorbilt 
in  1887.  It  was  the  first  ade- 
quate building  designed  and 
_  erected  for  a   Railroad  Associa- 

iT  "*^  tion.        Following   Mr.  \'ander- 

bilt's  action  and  advocacy,  rail- 
road companies  and  individuals 
have  since  devoted  nearly 
$8,000,000  to  the  erection  of 
such  buikhngs  on  nearly  every 
load  in  the  country  and  appro- 
j)riate  some  $oO(),()00  each  year 
to  their  maintenance. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  a  member  of 
the  Committee  of  Management 
of  this  Department  from  its  in- 
CoRNELUs   \'am)I.i{H1LT  ception  to  his  death. 


AMON(r  KAILFvOAD  MEN  53 

bilt  and  the  eoinpanies  controlled  by  him  was  much 
more  general  and  generons  than  on  other  lines. 

The  work  of  the  New  York  Branch  was  very  influen- 
tial in  the  early  d:iys,  chiefly  because  of  Mr.  Vauder- 
bilt's  connection  with  it.  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  then 
l)opular  and  afterwards  by  far  the  most  popular  after- 
dinner  speaker  of  his  time,  gave  his  constant  coopera- 
tion, and  was  one  of  those  influenced  by  Mr.  Stokes's 
spirit  and  example.  The  New  York  Branch  blazed  the 
way  for  new  forms  of  work.  The  Railroad  Men's  Build- 
ing, Mr.  Vanderbilt's  personal  gift,  opened  in  1887,  was 
the  first  modern  IJailroad  Association  building  to  be 
erected  containing  dormitories  and  lunch  rooms.  It  set 
the  standard  for  all  that  have  followed,  and  will  prob- 
ably never  be  equaled  in  tlie  simple  yet  elegant  beauty 
of  its  design  and  furnisliiiigs.  The  anniversary  meet- 
ings were  notable  occasions.  At  them  Mr.  Vanderbilt 
read  his  annual  report  and  invariably  Mr.  Depew  was 
the  i^rincipal  speaker.  Men  of  i)romineuce  in  railroad 
and  business  life  were  invited  aiul  became  interested  in 
the  Association  woik.  At  these  anniversary  meetings 
Mr.  Stokes  vras  al\v;iys  i)resent,  and  their  influence  in 
exiending  the  work  to  other  railway  centers  was  widely 
felt.  With  practical  railroad  officers  an  example  of 
what  can  be  done  is  ahAays  more  convincing  than  the 
most  eloquent  appeal — and  the  presidents  of  many  of  the 
large  railway  ( oiiii»anies  came  to  speak  at  the  anniver- 
saries and  to  see  what  had  been  done. 

During  all  this  time,  and  indeed  until  his  death,  Mr. 
Stokes  continued  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Man- 
agement in  New  York,  attending  its  meetings  and  coop- 
erating as  far  as  he  could  in  all  of  its  labors.  As  the 
work  developed  and  the  railroad  community  under  Mr. 
N'anderbilt's   patient,    consecrated    leadership    became 


54  JAMES  STOKES— nONEER 

fully  convinced  of  its  value,  Mr.  Stokes  became  less 
prominent,  but  for  many  years  he  had  the  distinction 
of  being  the  only  business  man  in  the  New  York  Com- 
mittee of  Management  except  the  president  of  the  City 
Association  who  held  his  i)lace  ex  officio.  He  succeeded 
in  securing  from  the  Fields,  who  were  at  the  time  in 
control  of  the  elevated  railroad,  an  appropriation  for 
the  emx)loyment  of  a  secretary,  and  E.  L.  Hamilton,  now 
head  of  the  International  Railroad  Department,  actu- 
ally took  up  his  duties  in  that  capacit3^  A  change  in 
control  of  the  company  led  to  the  abandonment  of 
the  scheme. 

Mr.  Stokes's  interest  in  the  railroad  w^ork  led  him  to 
seek  to  bring  its  inllueiices  to  bear  upon  those  countries 
of  Europe  in  which  he  aided  in  the  development  of  the 
Association.  He  supported  Mr.  C.  J.  Hicks  in  his  visit 
to  the  Russian  J*]mpire  at  the  invitation  of  the  Minister 
of  Railways,  and  he  assisted  in  bringing  two  delegates 
from  Russia  to  attend  the  Railroad  Association  Con- 
ference at  Philadelphia  in  11)00.  These  delegates  were 
the  official  representatives  of  the  Russian  Government 
and  they  paid  visits  to  the  principal  railroad  centers 
where  branches  of  the  Association  existed.  At  the  same 
conference  Mr.  Geisendorf  represented  the  German 
Railways.  Rei)resentatives  of  the  Railway  Mission  of 
Great  Britain  were  also  invited  to  visit  America  and 
to  attend  the  railroad  conference  at  Detroit,  Mich. 
Those  who  were  present  at  a  farewell  breakfast  given 
by  Mr.  Stokes  will  recall  his  delight  when  the  Scotch 
delegate,  in  thanking  Mr.  Stokes  for  his  kindness,  said 
in  the  broadest  Scotch :  ''Afther  we  ha'  gone  please 
think  o'  us  as  twa  men  determined  to  do  the  devil  def- 
inite damage." 

In  Association  circles  James  Stokes  will  be  remem- 


AMONCi  KAIJ.KOAl)  MJON  55 

berod  for  iniiny  acts  of  f!:eiiei'osity.  Buildings  of  good 
<lt'sigii  slaiid  as  his  luoiiument  in  many  cities — in  Ber- 
lin, Petrograd,  Taris,  Kome,  an<l  New  Ycjrk — and  young 
men  speaking  a  variety  of  tongues  will  repeat  his  name 
to  one  another  as  they  pass  in  and  out  of  their  doors. 
These  things  are  sure  to  hai)pen.  But  those  who  know 
what  it  was  that  gave  the  Kailroad  Associations  their 
strongest  imi»ulse  when  they  were  feeble  and  without 
influence  will  i)ay  tribute  to  Mr.  Stokes  for  his  fore- 
sight and  proi)hetic  vision  in  helping  those  who 
launched  the  movement,  and  especially  in  seeing  that 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt  had  qualities  and  position  which 
would  enable  him  to  lead  the  enterprise  to  large  and 
lasting  success. 

The  trouble  with  many  men  is  that  when  they  think 
of  a  business  venture — some  enterprise  in  finance,  com- 
merce, or  industry — they  lay  hold  of  the  strongest  men 
and  seek  to  make  their  powers  tributary  to  the  scheme ; 
but  when  religion,  i)hilanthropy,  or  jiublic  service  needs 
leadership  or  support,  their  minds  turn  to  men  of  medi- 
ocrity rather  than  to  those  whose  i)ersonalities  are  out- 
standing or  those  whose  cooperation  would  insure  a 
large  and  growing  triumph.  James  Stokes,  having 
given  himself  to  the  service  of  his  Lord,  helped  princes 
to  pay  tribute  and  men  of  wealth  to  consecrate  them- 
selves and  their  means  to  Christ's  work  for  men.  And 
it  is  always  God's  way  that  such  service  multiplies 
influence  in  an  altogether  disproportionate  manner. 
"One  shall  chase  a  thousand  and  two  put  ten  thousand 
to  flight." 


THE     MOST      IXTEKNATIOXAL     MI^fBER     OF 
THE    INTERNATIONAL    COMMITTEE 

]\iciiARi)  C  Mouse 

We  wore  boy  stlioolinales,  James  Stokes  and  the 
writer,  in  a  private  school  on  Irvinj^  Place  in  New  York 
City  befor(>  llie  year  1850,  when  neitlier  of  ns  had  at- 
tained tlie  aj,a'  of  ten  years.  Our  jiarents  and  families 
were  connected  w  iili  the  Madison  Sqnare  Presbyterian 
Chnrch.  In  onr  boyhood  duriiiji^  tlie  i>astorate  of  Dr. 
AVilliam  Adams,  we  were  feIlo\v-niend)ers  of  this  church, 
and  when  in  1<S(>!),  at  Ihe  aj;e  of  twenty-eight,  I  accepted 
the  call  of  the  International  Committee  to  become  its 
"General  Secretary  and  Editor,"  Mr.  Stokes  was  the 
member  of  that  Committee  longest  and  best  known  to 
me.  For  nearly  fifty  years,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  we 
continued  together  in  tliis  international  fellowship. 

But  long  before  I  joined  the  New  York  City  Asso- 
ciation, in  18(57,  his  name  had  api)eared  among  its  mem- 
bers in  18{J2.  In  the  strong  and  happy  reorganization 
of  that  Association  after  the  Civil  War  he  took  an  ac- 
tive part.  Though  in  age  as  yet  but  a  yonng  man  in 
his  early  twenties,  he  had  enlisted  with  that  group  of 
remarkable  yonng  men,  a  little  older  than  he,  who  built 
np,  for  New  York  City  and  the  whole  world  Brother- 
hood, the  fourfold  work.  Among  these  we  find  William 
E.  Dodge,  President;  Morris  K.  Jesnp,  Vice  President; 
J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  Treasurer;  Cephas  Brainerd,  and 

56 


THE  MOST  JNTKK.\AT1UNAL  ME.MHEK      57 

John  Crosli.v  Brown,  with  Kobert  K.  McBnrnoy,  who, 
as  employed  ollicer,  was  be<,nniiing  to  make  the  work  his 
vocation  and  life  work.  Ovei-  and  over  again  I  have 
heard  them  say — as  do  all  greatest  builders:  "We 
builded  better  than  we  knew,"  for  they  were  in  fel- 
lowship and  cooperation  with  the  supreme  Master 
Builder  of  time  and  eternity.  They  were  at  work  upon 
His  program.  This  young  associate  continued  in  the 
work  and  its  leadership  until  the  end  of  a  long  life, 
serving  with  a  growing  vision  unmatched  by  any  other 
layman.  He  tarried  with  us  long  enough  to  see  this 
fourfold  work  jdanted  in  practically  all  the  capital  and 
principal  cities  round  the  world.  To  his  other  inter- 
continental tours  he  added  late  in  life  a  leisurely  round- 
the-w^orld  visitation,  in  company  with  his  devoted  wife, 
of  these  cities,  in  some  of  which  he  himself  had  done 
the  planning  and  the  planting.  It  was  the  distinction 
of  Mr.  Stokes  in  his  contribution  to  this  half-century 
continent-wide  extension  in  North  America  and  world- 
wide expansion  on  other  continents,  that  he  continued 
throughout  and  to  the  end  in  close  and  intimate  fel- 
lowship and  consultation  with  the  most  elect  of  these 
leaders  and  with  the  growing  band  of  their  associates 
lay  and  secretarial.  To  every  sound  new  departure 
from  this  original  connection  with  the  membership  and 
directorship  of  the  New  York  Association,  even  though 
tested  before  he  committed  himself  to  it,  once  com- 
mitted he  was  there  to  stay. 

After  he  had  been  for  three  years  a  director,  in  18G(3 
the  International  Committee  began  to  be  experiment- 
ally located  in  New  York  City  and  some  of  the  direc- 
tors were  needed  to  man  the  Committee.  He  was  one 
of  those  enlisted.  With  both  directorate  and  Commit- 
tee he  continued  more  than  half  a  ceuturv,  to  the  end  of 


58  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

his  life.  In  each  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  mem- 
bers, faithfully  i)reseut  at  the  meetings  in  the  city  and 
the  sessions  of  the  International  Conventions,  deeply 
interested  in  every  i)hase  of  the  work,  sympathetically 
and  promotingly  identified  with  each  forward  step 
taken  in  the  steady  development  of  the  whole  growing 
work.  This  gave  vitality  and  force  to  his  leadership  in 
the  International  Committee  and  to  his  promotion  of 
its  continental  and  world  work.  He  carried  the  best 
traditions  and  spirit  of  the  local  work  into  the  over- 
head administration  of  Association  supervision  around 
the  world. 

Equally,  in  1876,  when  the  Committee's  first  secre- 
tary for  work  among  colored  young  men,  and  in  1877, 
when  the  first  International  railroad  and  student  sec- 
retaries were  secured — in  all  three  of  these  early  new 
departures  it  was  from  him  that  the  first  movers  ob- 
tained generous  sympathy  and  cooperation. 

In  the  eighties,  in  response  to  urgent  demand  and 
prayerful  appeal  for  divine  help,  began  to  api)ear  voca- 
tional men  for  each  feature  or  department  of  the  four- 
fold work,  beginning  with  the  Physical  Department. 
A  secretary  for  the  physical  work  was  followed  by  an 
International  Educational  Secretary  in  1893,  and  by 
the  religious  work  specialist  some  years  later.  These 
years  also  were  marked  by  the  beginnings  of  the  work 
for  boys.  To  each  call  from  the  beginners  Mr.  Stokes 
was  responsive  with  a  practical  sympathy  and  coop- 
eration. 

During  all  these  thirty  years  (1870-1900)  the  central 
solicitude  of  the  Committee,  as  of  the  Brotherhood, 
related  to  the  pervasive  spiritual  work  needed  for  the 
ultimate  efficiency  of  every  part  and  agency.  Dwight 
L.  Moody's  vital  lifelong  influence  and  sympathy  were 


<■'-'■ 


THl-:  MOST  INTKKNATIONAL  MEMBER      50 

felt  throughout  the  movemeut  most  helpfully.  No  mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  valued  and  welcomed  this  help 
more  earnestly  than  Mr.  Stokes.  It  was  in  this  most 
vital  i)art  of  (he  work  he  was  most  deeply  interested 
and  tried  to  make  his  inllueuce  felt.  His  personal 
friendship  with  Mr.  Moody  deepened  his  own  spiritual 
life  and  also  the  intensity  of  his  own  convictions  con- 
cerning the  i)rimacy  of  the  Association's  spiritual  and 
character-making  objective. 

From  this  brief  glance  at  the  development  of  the 
Association  movement  it  is  evident  that  it  was  in  these 
thirty  years  of  new  departures  that  the  foundations 
were  laid  for  building  that  great  expansion  of  the  move- 
meut on  this  continent  and  throughout  the  world  which 
so  promisingly  has  begun  in  the  first  two  decades  of 
this  century.  It  is  an  expansion  which  in  its  turn  gives 
evidence  of  the  Avisdom  of  those  who  j)lanned  and  car- 
ried forward  these  wise  departures. 

While  in  this  nascent  period  Mr.  Stokes  made  his 
great  contribution  to  the  work  on  this  continent,  he 
also  in  these  years  laid  the  foundation  for  that  special 
distinctive  achievement  in  which  he  was  most  promi- 
nent as  an  Association  leader. 

The  Jubilee  International  Convention  of  the  North 
American  Associations  was  held  in  June,  1901,  in  the 
city  of  Boston  where  fifty  years  before  the  first  Asso- 
ciation was  organized  in  the  United  States.  To  this 
convention — much  larger  than  any  one  of  its  thirty- 
three  predecessors — 2,500  representatives  came  from 
over  500  Associations.  Two  of  the  most  impressive 
features  of  this  historic  memorial  meeting  were  con- 
tributed by  Mr.  Stokes.  One  of  these  was  the  program 
of  the  praise  and  thanksgiving  service  of  the  opening 
session  of  the  convention  in  Trinity  Church,  conducted 


so  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

by  Fi-psidont  Cluirlos  Ciitlibert  Ilall.  It  was  owing  to 
the  solicitude  of  Mr.  Stokes  in  making  tlie  arrange- 
ments that  this  most  solemn  and  impressive  service 
of  pray(  r  and  praise  was  planned  and  most  happily  and 
devoutly  carried  out. 

It  was  also  owing  to  his  generous  provision  that  a 
grouj)  of  delegates  from  eight  countries  of  Europe 
crossed  the  Atlantic  and  gave  to  the  convention  one  of 
its  most  interesting  and  stirring  sessions.  Both 
achievements  indicated  how  vigihmt,  incessant,  and 
generous  was  his  solicitude  to  render  service  to  the 
whole  brotherhood  at  home  and  abroad  in  every  way  in 
his  i)ower.  Impressive  evidence  of  this  world  outreach 
of  the  Association  Movement  was  given  at  the  farewell 
meeting  when,  in  rapid  succession  in  nineteen  lan- 
guages, the  foreign  delegates  one  by  one  each  in  his 
ov/n  language  uttered  the  words:  ''One  is  your  Master 
even  the  Christ  and  all  ye  are  brethren"  and  the  whole 
convention  followed  in  singing,  ''Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds  our  hearts  in  Christian  love." 

Above  every  other  member  of  the  International  Com- 
mittee he  was  identified  throughout  his  life  with  the 
international  influence  of  the  North  American  Asso- 
ciations and  their  work.  Before  the  Committee  had 
any  employed  officer,  he  was  its  secretary  in  charge  of 
foreign  correspondence  and  visitation.  To  the  early 
convention  of  ISfJO  he  reporte;l  an  extended,  unprece- 
dented tour  of  visitation  among  tl:e  Associations  then 
existing  in  Europe  and  in  Mediterranean  lands.  It 
was  a  tour  including  London,  Liverpool,  Edinburgh, 
Glasgow,  Dublin,  Paris,  Nice,  Strasbourg,  Naples, 
Venice,  Florence,  Alexandria,  Smyrna,  Athens,  Geneva, 
and  Lausanne. 

These  visifs  became  for  him  aTid  the  Committee  the 


Tin:  MOST  inti:k.\ati()xai.  .mi:mbi:k    gi 

basis  of  au  extensive  eorrespondeuce  in  these  early 
years  of  our  World  Association  Movement.  In  his  own 
life  work  they  laid  the  foundation  for  the  intelligent, 
I)rogressive  interest  which  he  took  during  the  following 
decades  in  promoting  the  extension  of  the  methods  of 
the  American  Associations  to  the  young  men  of  France, 
Italy,  Kussia,  and  other  countries.  This  interest  of 
his,  especially  in  France,  had  an  ancestral,  patriotic 
origin.  When  Lafayette  visited  the  United  States  in 
1824,  the  father  of  Mr.  8tokes  was  a  boy  and  was  taken 
to  one  of  the  receptions  given  to  this  honorc^l  guest  of 
the  American  people.  The  child  so  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  distinguished  Frenchman  that  he  saluted 
him  with  a  kiss — a  greeting  which  remained  vividly 
in  the  recollection  of  the  boy  during  his  life.  Indeed, 
both  the  mother  and  father  of  Mr.  Stokes  were  promi- 
nent among  the  American  friends  who  took  a  generous 
interest  in  the  support  of  the  American  Chapel  in  Paris 
and  other  similar  international  endeavors. 

For  several  years,  during  the  zenith  of  (he  German 
emigration  to  our  country,  when  more  emigrants  were 
coming  to  us  from  there  than  from  any  other  nation, 
German-speaking  branches  were  formed  for  two  dec- 
ades (187-1:-1SJ)4)  in  the  German  centers  of  our  prin- 
cipal cities  by  a  German-American  pastor  and  evan- 
gelist of  remarkable  ability.  Reverend  Frederick  Von 
Schluembach.  During  the  Civil  War  (1801-51  he 
served  efficiently  as  an  officer  in  the  Union  Army.  The 
excellent  branches  he  established  as  a  secretary  of  the 
International  Committee  in  our  cities  accomplished  a 
good  work  for  a  time  as  German-speaking  centers,  until 
they  became,  by  the  action  and  i)reference  of  their 
leaders  and  membership,  English-speaking  centers, 
making:  use  au  occasion  called  for,  of  the  German  luu- 


62  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

guage.  But  at  tlie  close  of  his  Association  service  in 
his  adopt  e<l  conn  try.  Secretary  Von  Schlnembach  re- 
turned to  Germany  for  a  period  k)ng  enough  (1882-3) 
to  establisli  at  Berlin  and  at  Stuttgart,  the  capital  of 
his  native  AViirtenibnrg,  the  Christlichcr  Vcrein  J  linger 
Manner,  an  organization  following  in  i)rinciple  and 
method  the  (lernian-Aniericaii  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  he  had  established  in  our  own  cities.  In 
all  this  work  of  Secretary  Von  Schlnembach,  Mr. 
Stokes  took  a  generous  and  practical  interest,  espe- 
cially in  the  successful  etfort  to  secure  the  fund  needed 
for  the  building  of  the  German-American  Branch  in  his 
own  city  of  New  York,  now  the  lOast  Side  Branch. 

In  later  years  the  French  Branch  with  its  excellent 
building  was  even  more  indebted  to  liini  for  the  gen- 
erous, indisi^ensable  cooperation  which  enabled  its 
leaderxS  to  organize  and  carry  on  their  efiticient  work 
among  our  French  visitors  and  fellow-citizens. 

The  earlier  international  endeavors  of  the  most  inter- 
national member  of  the  International  Committee  were 
preliminary  to  his  latest  and  far  greater  achievements, 
for  they  led  Mr.  Stokes,  when  he  came  into  possession 
of  the  fortune  received  from  his  father,  wisely  to  plan 
and  generously  and  patiently  to  carry  out  a  program 
of  remarkable  service,  especially  to  the  young  men  of 
France  and  Russia. 

His  plan  for  France  matured  in  the  summer  of  1886 
when  I  was  setting  out  for  Geneva  to  attend  in  that 
city  a  special  meeting  of  the  ^Vorld's  Committee.  To 
the  work  of  the  Committee,  ever  since  its  first  appoint- 
ment, he  had  been  a  generous  annual  contributor. 
Later,  in  1888,  he  was  chosen  the  American  member  of 
that  Committee  and  continued  in  office  to  the  end  of 
his  life.    He  authorized  me  on  this  journey  of  1886  to 


THl-:  MOST  IXTFJINATIONAL  MICMBIOK      (i3 

make  inquiiy  in  I*aris  coiueniiiig  llie  Associulion,  aud 
its  secretary,  Mr.  Vander  Beken,  who  was  also  a  worker 
ill  the  McAll  Mission.  I  was  to  arrange  for  this  sec- 
retary to  come  as  Mr.  Stokes's  guest  to  the  American 
Associations  for  a  six  months'  visit,  including  a  term 
of  study  at  the  Training  School  in  Springfield.  As  a 
result  of  my  visit  to  Paris,  Vander  Beken  accepted  the 
invitation  extended  to  him.  Additional  help  now  came 
from  Mr.  Stokes. 

Owing  wholly  to  his  own  faith  and  persevering 
search,  he  found  in  New  York  City,  at  our  very  doors, 
a  person  who  liad  not  been  discovered  by^  the  Secre- 
tarial Bureau — Franklin  Gaylord.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Yale  in  1S77,  and  a  Christian  worker,  with  theolog- 
ical seminary  training.  But  his  essential  qualifica- 
tion, not  possessed  by  any  Association  secretary  of  rank 
on  our  roll,  and  giving  distinction  to  Mr.  Stokes's  dis- 
covery of  him,  was  his  excellent  command  of  the  French 
language.  This  he  had  acquired  by  a  residence  in  Paris, 
during  which  he  had  been  active  in  the  management 
and  work  of  the  American  Chai)el  in  that  city.  In  that 
church,  for  many  years,  members  of  the  Stokes  family 
had  been  interested,  and  from  one  of  its  former  pastors 
had  come  to  Mr.  Stokes  the  timely  suggestion  of  Mr. 
Gaylord  as  a  candidate  of  i)romise  for  the  work  in 
Paris.  Vander  Beken  during  his  stay  in  America  met 
Gaylord  and  became  eager  for  his  help.  Through  the 
generous  provision  of  Mr.  Stokes,  Mr.  Gaylord  was 
willing,  for  the  time  at  least,  to  become  the  helper 
needed  in  the  work  of  the  Association  in  Paris.  A  bet- 
ter location  for  rooms  was  essential  to  success  and  to- 
ward this  Mr.  Stokes  was  willing  to  give  additional 
help.  Gaylord  began  work  in  Paris  in  1887,  and  it 
was  soon  seen  by  Mr.  Stokes  that  temporary  help  from 


64  JAMES  STOKES— riOXElOK 

one  who  had  liad  h)tif;oi'  oxi>oi'ionce  iu  Association  work 
would  bo  ol"  great  value  to  both  Gaylord  and  Vauder 
Beken. 

This  helj)  he  urj^ed  me  to  give,  asking  me  to  go  to 
Paris  for  that  pui'])ose.  To  such  an  absence  abroad  on 
my  part  the  ('ommittee  would  not  consent,  so  the  appeal 
was  transferred  to  my  associate,  Mr.  Thomas  K.  Cree. 
The  Committee  yielded  to  this  second  choice,  but  Cree 
seriously'  hesitated.  Without  any  knowledge  of  the 
French  language,  a  stranger  and  a  foreigner,  he  was 
naturally  distrustful  of  his  ability  to  justify  the  ex- 
pense involved.  It  certainly  seemed  venturesome  to 
himself  and  his  counselors;  but  again  Mr.  Stokes's  wise 
j)ersistency  ])revaile(l,  and  Cree  joined  Gajiord  in  Paris. 
The  two  American  worker's  proved  to  be  a  rarely  ef- 
fective combination.  The  rest  of  this  story  can  be  more 
fittingly  told  by  ]\Ir.  Gaylord  in  his  contribution  to  the 
composite  sketch  of  the  life  and  work  of  the  friend  with 
whom  we  both  were  intimately  associated. 

What  most  deeply  impressed  me  in  my  relation  to 
these  two  leaders  and  in  my  intinmte  contact  with  Mr. 
Stokes  and  with  his  leadership  in  work  for  young  men 
in  Christ's  name,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  was  his 
wise  choice  and  generous  support  of  the  men  he  asso- 
ciated with  himself — both  laymen  and  employed  offi- 
cers— in  the  widely  i)lanned  undertakings  upon  which 
he  entered.  Once  having  made  these  choices,  he  i)er- 
severingly  and  generously  continued  his  essential  coop- 
eration— often  in  the  face  of  obstacles  that  were  dis- 
couraging and,  seemingly  to  his  advisers,  prohibitive 
of  success.  The  results  achieved  justified  the  wisdom 
of  his  many  choices  in  these  and  other  undertakings. 

The  discerning  solicitude  of  Mr.  Stokes  reached  out 
posthumously  beyond  the  bound  and  limit  of  his  mortal 


Ohi(;inal  CiEUMAN  BuANCH  Brii.Dixci,  St.  Louis,  of  1889 


'1,1 


"North  Side"  ()i'T(;uo\vtii  of  the  St.  Louis  (Ieh.ma.n  Huaxch 
In  the  doca(lc>  botwoon  1880  and  1890  many  German  branches 
spranfi  up  in  leading  cities  with  great  Clerman-speakiiift  popula- 
tions. These  were  a  direct  outfirowth  of  the  (!erman  Branch  in 
New  York  City  and  promoted  by  the  International  Conmiittee 
for  foreign-speaking  men  in  America. 


THi:  MOST  INTEKNATiONAL  MEMBER      65 

lile,  and  in  tlie  linal  (Iis{)()siti()ii  of  his  pi-opcity  substan- 
tially his  whole  roitimo  was,  with  wise  forecast,  de- 
voted to  the  coiitiiuiaiu'e  alter  his  death  of  the  benefi- 
cent work  and  the  ellicieut  workers  it  had  been  the 
principal  etfort  of  his  life  to  sustain. 


VI 

MR.      STANDFAST     OF     THE     YOUNG     MEN'S 
CHRISTIAN    ASSOCIATION 

Luther  D.  Wishard 

"So  they  (Biinyan's  pilgrims)  went  on,  and  looked 
before  them :  and  behold  they  saw,  as  they  thought,  a 
man  upon  his  knees,  with  hands  and  eyes  lift  up,  and 
speaking,  as  they  thought,  earnesth'  to  one  that  was 
above.  They  drew  nigh,  but  could  not  tell  what  he 
said;  so  Ihey  went  softly  till  he  had  done.  When  he 
had  done  he  got  up,  and  began  to  run  towards  the  Celes- 
tial City.  Then  Mr.  Great-heart  called  after  him,  say- 
ing, 'Soho,  friend !  let  us  have  your  company  if  you  go, 
as  I  suppose  you  do,  to  the  Celestial  City.'  So  the  man 
stopped,  and  they  came  up  to  him.  But  so  soon  as  Mr. 
Honest  saw  him  he  said,  'I  know  this  man.'  Then  said 
Mr.  Valiant-for-truth,  'Prithee,  who  is  it?'  "Tis  one,' 
said  he,  'that  comes  from  whereabcmts  I  dwelt.  His 
name  is  Standfast;  he  is  certainly  a  right  good 
pilgrim.' " 

On  my  return  from  South  Africa  in  the  autumn  of 
1896,  I  received  a  letter  from  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Student  Christian  Movement  which  I  had  organized 
there  during  that  year,  containing  the  following  sen- 
tence in  appreciation  of  the  International  Committee 
of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations:  'Wew  York 
City  is  surely  located  at  the  highest  altitude  on  our 
planet  because  your  horizon  is  so  wide  and  command- 
ing that  you  apparently  cover  the  entire  world." 

The  writer  is  not  seriously  open  to  the  charge  of 
hyperbole.  The  young  Africander's  opinion  has  been 
variously  expressed  by  more  than  one  subject  of  the 

C6 


mi.  STANDFAST  OF  TIIF  V.  M.  r.  A.         07 

Iiiteruatioiial  (Nuumitlee'.s  oversight  lliroiif^liout  the 
world.  lio  is  not  alone  in  his  recognition  of  the  Asso- 
ciation Watch  Tower,  which  figuratively  overtops  our 
Metropolitan  and  Woolworth  buildings.  It  may  be 
confidently  asserted  that  nowhere  on  earth  is  there  a 
group  of  men  more  alert  to  the  conditions  and  needs  of 
the  whole  wide  world.  One  meeting  these  men  only  on 
the  Board  of  Trade,  in  their  law  chambers  and  consult- 
ing rooms,  in  the  counting  rooms  of  the  great  mercan- 
tile houses,  in  the  offices  of  the  great  trunk  railway 
lines,  may  detect  nothing  in  their  expression,  manner, 
or  conversation  indicative  of  their  fundamental  mo- 
tives and  life  aims.  They  cannot  be  identified,  as  Mi- 
chael Angelo  is  said  to  have  been  by  his  upward  look 
contracted  from  his  lifelong  w^ork  of  artistic  ceiling 
decoration.  Their  eyes  are  not,  like  Dickens's  Bunsby, 
fixed  upon  the  coast  of  Greenland ;  and  yet,  if  we  could 
glimj)se  their  inward  eye  and  follow  its  sweep  of  vision, 
we  would  often  visualize  scenes  scattered  all  the  "way 
between  Greenland's  icy  mountains  and  India's  coral 
strand.  The  feet  of  these  men  are  planted  firmly  on  the 
earth,  but  their  heads  brush  the  stars.  Surely  their 
citizenship  is  in  Heaven,  wdiose  chief  Personality  so 
loved  the  world  that  time's  calendar  today  divides  his- 
tory at  Bethlehem  by  the  mystic  letters  B.  C.  and  A,  D. 
There  is  nothing  greater  in  our  quarter  of  the  solar 
system  than  our  world.  No  one  of  my  business  ac- 
quaintances more  truly  believed  this  and  more  fully 
made  this  belief  the  salient  fact  of  his  life  than  James 
Stokes.  Others,  associated  with  him  on  the  Interna- 
tional Committee,  often  scanned  the  world  field  from 
the  Watch  Tower;  but,  as  I  seat  myself  this  afternoon 
of  a  November  day,  as  I  pause  at  my  mid-afternoon  of 
a  somewhat  strenuous  life  to  live  over  again  and  pen- 


08  elAMES  ST()KP:K— PIOXIOKli 

j^kolcli  a  few  of  the  oiil lines  of  the  ralher  coinposUe  i)er- 
s.'inaliiy  of  my  fi'i(Mi(l,  I  am  siire  I  am  not  sJ^'i"»  ^^'^J 
to  a  passion  wliich  too  ofte!)  blurs  post  mortem  appre- 
ciations, when  1  firmly  declare  that  no  member  of  the 
Committee — the  ('ommittec  v.l'.ich  I  knew  and  served 
from  tlie  late  seventies  to  the  late  evcnin?^  of  the  old 
century — is  more  justly  entitled  to  the  name  vt'ith  v^'hich 
l  have  been  pleased  to  introduce  him  in  the  text  of  this 
appreciation.  I  wonder  whether  the  seer  of  Bedford 
jail  had  any  specific  jtersonalily  in  mind  when  he  chris- 
tened one  of  his  pilgiims  Standfast.  If  ho  never  found 
anyone  on  earth  who  fully  merited  that  name,  and  has 
not  yvt  fixed  it  ujjon  anyone  in  Paradise,  1  ma}',  and 
that  before  very  long",  take  the  liberty  of  introducing 
my  dear  friend  Stokes  to  Bunyan  under  this  cognomen. 
And,  if  Bunyan  chooses  to  listen,  I  can  reenforce  my 
characterization  along  some  such  lines  as  the  following. 
In  indicating,  with  a  stroke  of  the  pen,  the  crowning 
quality  of  his  personality,  I  do  not  in  the  least  ignore 
or  minimize  the  degree  in  which  the  quality  of  stead- 
fastness marked  more  than  one  of  the  now  historic 
group  which  made  up  the  Committee  three  and  four 
decades  ago.  Cephas  Brainerd,  Kobert  B.  McBurney, 
William  E.  Dodge,  Benjamin  C.  Wetmore,  Cleveland 
H.  Dodge,  nenry  11.  Webster,  Bichard  M.  Colgate,  Rich- 
ard C.  Morse,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  James  Stokes! 
Was  ever  a  great  world  movement  led  by  ten  braver, 
more  faithful  men?  Steadfastness  of  a  high  order  en- 
tered into  the  moral  fiber  of  each  of  that  vanguard  of 
leaders;  but,  as  F  recall  a  thousand  and  one  incidents 
in  contact  with  them,  and  seek  to  characterize  and  in- 
terpret each  one  of  them  by  one  outstanding,  dominat- 
ing quality,  Bunyan's  allegorical  spirit  seizes  and  con- 
trols my  hand  and  the  letters  of  Stokes's  short,  terse, 


MK.  STAX1)]<\VST  OF  Till-]  Y.  M.  C.  A.         (if) 

stronj;",  inoiiosyllabic  namo,  dissolve  into  Standfast. 
It  was  tills  quality  which  Brainerd  had  in  mind,  when 
he  said  to  me  at  the  close  of  one  of  our  many  midnight 
parleys,  "Jim  Stokes  has  taken  hold  of  the  work  in 
France  with  his  bulldog  grip  and  he'll  never  let  go; 
an  Association  movement  in  France  is  now  assured." 
It  was  this  sort  of  tenacity  which  I  had  in  mind  when 
I  wrote  one  of  our  leading  mercliants,  whom  T  was  try- 
ing to  enlist  in  generous  sui)port  of  the  Association 
movement  in  Asia,  Africa,  and  South  America,  that  my 
greatest  need  or  ratlier  the  greatest  need  of  toe  Inter- 
national ('onimit tee's  foreign  work  was  a  .James  Stokes. 

Ordinarily  sucli  a  tribute  should  be  somewliat  or- 
derly, after  the  fashion  of  a  wx'll-tended  garden;  and 
yet,  I  am  strongly  drawn  to  the  oM-fashioned  gai'den. 
Mr.  Stokes's  life  was  not  laid  out  in  rows.  His  big 
heart,  his  impulsive  addresses,  his  liearty  letters,  his 
earnest  deeds,  were  not  characterized  by  over  mucli 
sj'stem.  Spontaneity  and  informant}'  were  dominat- 
ing features  of  his  life  work.  I  am  reminded,  however, 
as  I  glance  at  the  wording  of  the  special  phases  of 
his  uni(iue  life  Avhich  I  am  asked  to  discuss,  that  I 
must  not  give  free  rein  to  memory,  but  must  rather 
concentrate  upon  his  place  in  the  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can Association  in  tlie  universities  of  America  and  the 
world,  and  of  the  adaptation  and  transplantation  of 
the  American  Association  idea  to  the  cities  of  non- 
Christian  and  semi-Christian  lands. 

His  relation  to  the  Association  in  American  univer- 
sities consisted  chiefly  in  his  steady  participation  in  the 
discussions  and  decisions  of  the  International  Commit- 
tee, relative  to  its  program  of  extension  and  develop- 
ment, which  program  was  fairly  launched  in  the  sum- 
mer and  autunm  of  1877.     Inasmuch  as  the  field  secre- 


70  eTAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

tarics  were  never  jiresent  at  the  Committee's  regular 
meetings,  1  am  unable  to  recall  and  record  the  part 
taken  by  any  member  of  the  Committee,  excepting  those 
members  who  composed  the  special  departmental  com- 
mittee, namely  the  college  subcommittee,  with  which 
I  very  frequently  conferred,  Xow  and  then  questions 
and  policies  of  very  strategic  importance,  discussed  and 
decided  by  the  general  Committee,  were  re])orted  to  the 
departmental  secretaries.  It  is  impossible  that  a  col- 
lege alumnus,  like  Mr.  Stokes,  should  not  have  taken 
a  very  active  hand  in  all  discussions  and  actions  relat- 
ing to  the  student  work. 

No  one  could  have  been  more  interested  than  he  in 
the  negotiations  Avhich  led  to  the  union  of  the  religious 
society  in  Princeton  with  the  American  Young  Men's 
Christian  Associations.  He  would  also  have  entered 
most  heartily  into  the  discussion  of  all  questions  lead- 
ing up  to  the  student  conference  at  the  International 
Convention  in  Louisville  in  June,  1877. 

It  w'as  at  the  Louisville  Convention  that  1  first  met 
him.  It  was  n\y  second  convention.  Practically  all  of 
the  delegates  were  strangers  to  me.  It  is  impossible 
that  I  should  at  this  date  recall  the  faces  and  voices  of 
many  of  them.  The  members  of  the  old  guard  whose 
presence  I  most  vividly  recall  included  J.  V.  Farwell, 
Charlie  Morton,  W.  W.  Van  Arsdale,  and  Robert  Wei- 
densall  of  Chicago,  L.  W.  Munhall  of  Indianapolis, 
Thane  Miller  of  Cincinnati,  S.  A.  Taggart  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, George  A.  Hall  of  New  York,  John  Hill  of  New 
Jersey,  and  the  New  York  City  delegates,  McBurney 
and  Morse  (whose  names  always  flow  together  and  will 
probably  continue  to  be  connected  in  Jerusalem  the 
Golden),  Anthony  Comstock,  and  James  Stokes.  Noth- 
ing less  than  a  striking  personality  could  have  chal- 


MR.  STANDFAST  OF  TUl-]  Y.  M.  C.  A.         71 

lenp,e(l  the  attention  oi"  a  rriuceton  student  who  was 
eandouslv  feeling  his  way  into  the  Brotherhood.  Mr. 
Stokes  had  such  a  personality.  1  recall  forty-two  years 
later,  his  face,  his  dress,  his  voice,  his  very  pose  on  the 
platform.  He  was  a  handsome  young  man,  and,  as 
George  Adam  Smith  wrote,  in  his  imperishable  biog- 
raphy of  Henry  Drummond,  ^'he  considered  it  worth 
while  to  dress  well."  Stokes  always  liked  to  see  a  man 
well  groomed  and  quite  startled  me  at  least  twice  by 
his  frank  and  favorable  comment  upon  my  improved 
upholstery,  which  confirmed  the  opinion  that  careless 
disregard  of  the  conventionalities  of  dress  is  not  a  nec- 
essary mark  and  accompaniment  of  greatness.  Dead 
in  earnest  conviction  and  sincerity  characterized 
his  participation  in  the  convention's  discussions.  No 
one  entered,  and  no  one  could  have  entered,  more  intel- 
ligently and  more  sj-mpathetically  than  he  into  the  con- 
vention's action  inaugurating  the  Intercollegiate 
Movement. 

I  met  him  not  infrequently  that  autumn  and  winter. 
I  retain  one  very  distinct  and  pleasing  impression  of 
him,  taking  a  free  and  very  effective  band  in  an  ani- 
mated tilt  on  the  occasion  of  an  Association  conference 
at  I*oughkeepsie  during  the  early  spring  of  1878.  A 
representative  gathering  of  gentlemen  was  assembled 
in  a  leading  home  of  the  city  to  hear  of  its  field,  serv- 
ice, and  financial  needs.  The  Railroad  and  College  De- 
partments of  tlie  Committee  were  both  of  recent  origin 
and  wereduh^  presented.  My  somewhat  eager  emphasis 
of  the  superior  effectiveness  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  as  contrasted  with  the  work  of  the  old 
religious  societies  in  the  colleges,  awakened  some  jeal- 
ousy in  a  venerable  college  alumnus  who  "was  appar- 
ently temperamentally  prejudiced  against  innovations. 


72  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

He  accordingly  opened  upon  me  a  barrage  of  critical 
innuendos  designed  to  weaken  any  favorable  impression 
my  advocacy  bad  evidently  made.  I  was  at  consider- 
able disadvantage  in  a  i)assage-at-arms  with  the 
doughty  old  pulpiteer.  Bliicher  was  not  more  eagerly 
welcomed  bj^  Wellington  than  Stokes  was  hailed  by  the 
noviis  aJioniuis,  when  he  canie  suddenly  to  m^-  rescue 
and  amused  and  entertained  the  audience  and  put  to 
rout  the  critical  doubter.  What  Stokes  ably  began 
was  signally  completed  by  a  lithe,  black-haired,  snap- 
ping-eyed  Yalensian,  who  ever  fought  his  best  when  the 
firing  was  hottest.  We  called  him  Dick.  To  the  Asso- 
ciation men  of  those  olden  golden  days,  Richard  C. 
Morse  will  always  be  remembered  as  Dick  Morse,  and 
Chevalier  James  Stokes  will  always  be  Jim  Stokes — 
the  name  we  lovingly  gave  him  in  those  days  of  famil- 
iar militant  comradeship. 

This  is  not  a  biography;  it  is  only  a  sheaf  of  mem- 
ories gleaned  at  random  from  the  harvest  field  of  his 
fruitful  life.  I  must  hasten,  therefore,  to  touch  upon 
the  beginning  of  Mr.  Stokes's  greatest  achievement.  I 
refer  to  his  championship  and  promotion  of  up-to-date 
Association  work  in  Europe,  beginning  with  Paris.  1 
was  first  brought  into  actual  touch  with  this  work  in 
the  spring  of  1888.  I  was  completing  my  arrangements 
for  my  long  contemplated  insj)ecti()n  tour  of  the  leading 
colleges  and  cities  of  Asia.  It  was  considered  wise  to 
preface  the  Oriental  tour  with  a  brief  study  of  the 
Associations  of  Great  Britain  and  also  a  tour  of  the 
university  centers  of  Great  Britain,  France,  Switzer- 
land, and  Germany  for  the  express  purpose  of  inviting 
students  to  attend  the  Xorthfield  Student  Conference. 
Mr.  Stokes,  knowing  of  my  intended  tour,  conferred 
with  me  frequently  and  fully  concerning  his  program 


MK.  STANDFAST  OF  TIIF  Y.  M.  C.  A.         !?> 

and  pT'oposals  for  (lie  I'aris  Association,  wliere  he  had 
already  sent  a  conii)etent  representative  in  the  person 
of  Mr.  Uaylord. 

lie  was  deeply  eoneerned  over  the  conditions  then 
existing  in  I'aris.  His  fears,  as  I  fonnd  on  my  arrival, 
were  only  too  well  gronnded.  The  Association  in  Paris 
had  been  condncted  on  lines  not  calculated  to  enlist  the 
young  men  of  the  city.  The  Association  had  depended 
largely  upon  funds  and  supervision  from  London,  its 
membership  was  accordingly  largely  comiiosed  of  young 
Englishmen  temporarily  residing  in  the  Parisian  cap- 
ital. Their  longer  acquaintance  with  Association  meth- 
ods, growing  out  of  their  former  connection  vvith  the 
British  brotherhood,  naturally  brought  them  to  the 
front  in  local  management.  This  tended  to  relegate  the 
Parisian  young  men  to  a  secondary  i>lace  in  the  organi- 
zation. Mr.  Stokes  was  strongly  convinced  that  what 
Paris  needed  was  an  Association  composed  exclusively 
of  young  Frenchmen.  He  believed  that  foreign  young 
men  should  be  provided  for  in  a  branch  Association,  or 
possibly  in  a  departmental  work  in  the  French  Associa- 
tion. This  readjustment  he  clearly  saw  involved  deli- 
cate tactful  negotiation.  British  sympathy  and  coop- 
eration must  be  maintained  in  behalf  of  foreign  young 
men  residing  in  Paris;  but  even  at  the  risk  of  slightly 
alienating  British  financial  sup})ort,  the  French  must 
have  an  Association  composed  of  themselves,  managed 
by  themselves,  and  adapted  to  themselves.  I  had  rarely 
been  charged  with  a  more  complicated  task.  1  had  been 
partially  fitted  for  it  by  two  years'  strenuous  work  of 
separating  the  young  men  and  j^oung  women  who  had 
drifted  together  in  the  membership  of  the  college  Asso- 
ciations in  the  middle  V\est.  It  was  in  connection  with 
my  l*arisian  mission  that  I  had  ni}'  first  deep  insight 


74  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

into  the  hard  common  sense,  steadfastness,  and  broad 
vision  of  James  Stokes.  He  was  too  generous  to  take 
any  undue  advantage  in  the  controversy,  which  his 
financial  strength  gave  him.  He  insisted  that  I  base  my 
chief  appeal  ui)on  the  real  merits  of  the  case  per  se, 
viz:  the  advantages  attaching  to  separate  membership. 
I  am  not  expected  in  this  i)lace  to  elaborate  the  details 
of  this  mission,  but  simi)]^-  to  touch  its  high  points  and 
remark  that  his  plans  prevailed  and  Paris  has  had  for 
many  years  one  of  the  foremost  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  of  Europe. 

Neither  Mr.  Stokes  nor  I  clearly  anticipated  the 
eventful  effect  of  my  European  tour  of  1888  upon  the 
university  life  of  Europe.  1  was,  however,  able  to  sub- 
mit to  him  and  his  associates  a  proposal,  on  my  return 
from  Europe,  which  resulted  in  sending  to  Paris,  Mr. 
James  B.  lieynolds  of  Yale,  whose  three  years'  study 
and  preliminary  work  paved  the  way  in  the  most  real 
sense  for  the  strong  student  Christian  movements 
which  have  for  nearly  a  generation  influenced  the  reli- 
gious life  of  the  universities  of  Great  Britain  and  the 
Continent.  Mr.  Stokes  followed  Mr.  Reynolds's  pre- 
paratory work  with  the  keenest  interest.  It  has  been 
refreshing  to  me  to  go  over  their  correspondence  re- 
cently and  confirm  the  deej)  interest  with  which  he  fol- 
lowed the  seed  planting  of  the  Christian  ISIovement  in 
the  universities,  whose  vital  relationship  to  the  Associ- 
ation among  young  business  men  no  one  foresaw  more 
clearly  than  he.  The  prescribed  limits  of  this  chapter 
prevent  lengthy  discussion  of  his  relationship  to  the 
European  student  Christian  uprising;  but  his  sympa- 
thy in  the  beginning,  his  cooperation  financially,  and 
his  uninterrupted  interest,  up  to  the  very  end  of  his  life, 
cannot  be  overstated. 


MR.  STANDFAST  OF  THE  Y.  M.  C.  A.         75 

I  HOW  pass  to  the  very  close  connection  which  he 
maintained  with  nie  froni  the  very  beginning  to  the 
close  of  my  tour  of  the  student  and  city  centers  of  Asia. 
This  tour  depenjled  financially  upon  a  small  and  select 
group  of  eight  business  men  residing  in  Boston,  Brook- 
lyn, Cohoes,  rhiladeli)hia,  Chicago,  and  Milwaukee,  all 
of  whom,  except  Mr.  Stokes,  were  definitely  solicited 
for  annual  contributions  to  cover  the  expenses.  Mr. 
Stt)kes  did  not  wait  for  an  appeal.  His  keen  sympa- 
thetic eye,  ever  on  the  alert,  from  the  Watch  Tower, 
quickly  sensed  the  situation  and  the  need,  and  just 
previous  to  my  departure  for  San  Francisco  he  asked 
nie  in  his  gracious,  modest,  and  off-hand  manner  how 
the  campaign  fund  stood.  When  I  named  the  figure 
he  playfully  remarked  that  I  was  understating  the 
amount,  as  he  knew  of  an  additional  annual  subscrip- 
tion which  substantially  increased  the  fund.  Dear  old 
Stokes !  He  was  literally,  as  the  w^ord  ''cheerful''  should 
be  translated,  an  "hilarious  giver."  If  God's  love  for 
such  hilarity  is  measured  by  its  degree  and  continuity, 
He  surely  loves  James  Stokes. 

The  only  condition  which  he  exacted  of  me,  aside 
from  wise  use  of  the  fund,  was  an  occasional  letter.  It 
was  a  pleasure  to  write  to  him.  I  knew  he  would  read 
and  answer.  Not  all  of  my  financial  supporters  replied 
regularly  to  my  dispatches  hurled  from  the  firing  line, 
but  Stokes  wrote  not  infrequently.  I  well  remember 
writing  into  the  ''wee  sma'  hours,"  one  bleak  December 
night  in  San  Francisco,  to  a  chosen  few  of  my  closest 
friends,  including  Stokes.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  turn  up 
the  letter  and  his  reply  a  few  days  ago.  He  gripi^ed 
my  heart  that  winter  night.  Was  a  telepathic  wireless 
flashed  from  his  I'ark  Avenue  home  to  my  room  in  the 
Occidental  at  the  Golden  Gate?     I  knew  that  few  of 


76  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

my  old  associates  were  following  our  outgoing  steamer 
more  prayerfully  than  he.  Not  even  the  great  sorrow 
that  overshadowed  his  home  at  that  Christmas-tide  so 
absorbed  his  thoughts  as  to  prevent  their  overflow  of 
sympathy  to  us  who  were  going  down  to  the  sea  in 
ships.  If  I  had  never  realized  it  fully  before,  I  knew 
that  last  night  in  my  ''ain  countree"  the  big  place  th.;)t 
James  Stokes  filled  in  my  heart  as  I  wrote  him 
good-bye. 

It  is  not  possible  in  this  brief  chapter  even  lightly  to 
touch  upon  our  relations  by  correspondence  during  the 
next  four  years.  J  must,  however,  allude  to  an  incident 
which  occurred  just  prior  to  our  sailing  from  England 
on  our  return  home.  I  had  written  him  a  few  weeks 
before  in  Coustantinoi)le  at  a  time  when  my  heart  was 
ver}^  sore  because  of  the  fear  that  if  I  remained  in 
Europe  long  enough  to  finish  my  work  I  would  probably 
not  reach  home  in  time  to  bid  good-bye  to  my  dying 
mother.  My  fears  were  sadly  realized.  At  that  par- 
ticular time  my  traveling  fund  was  running  low  and 
my  Intimacy  with  Mr.  Stokes  fully  justified  an  allusion 
to  the  fact.  I  shall  never  forget  tl^e  time  and  place 
when  and  where  I  received  his  reply,  which  was  for- 
warded to  Dumfries.  It  was  not  the  generous  check 
which  the  letter  contained  as  much  as  the  hearty  words 
of  sympathy  and  cheer  which  refreshed  our  spirits  like 
a  draught  of  cold  water  from  one's  native  spring. 
"Words  fitly  spoken  are  like  apples  of  gold  in  baskets 
of  silver."  James  Stokes  scattered  golden  apples  from 
his  ever  full  basket  all  around  the  world. 

Literally  around  the  world  ;  for  he  was  one  of  the  first 
three  Association  men  actually  to  circumnavigate  the 
world  in  a  thorough  tour  of  investigation  and  propaga- 
tion of  tested  Association  i)rincij)les  and  programs.   He 


y.    - 


MR.  STANDFAST  Ol'  TIIK   V.  M.  C.  A.  77 

was  prcH-cdod  in  such  a  mission  onl}'  by  the  writor  who 
made  the  pioiiei'r  tour  durinjj?  the  years  18S8  to  1<SI)2 
and  by  John  K.  Mott  in  181)5-1)7.  His  tour,  like  that  of 
his  two  predecessors,  was  fully  considered  in  advance 
and  carefully  planned. 

It  is  a  matter  worthy  of  special  empliasis  thai  ]\Ir. 
Stokes  was  the  lirst  lay  member  of  the  Younjj;'  Men's 
Christian  Association  who  made  such  a  journey,  and 
that  he  made  it,  of  course,  at  his  own  expense.  The 
writer  once  i)layfuily  saluted  him  as  a  "self-siipporting 
native  worker."  He  acknowledged  the  sally  with  his 
characteristic,  old  time,  hearty  laugh.  This  was  strictly 
true.  Christianity  was  his  business,  and,  unlike  Wil- 
liam Care}',  he  didn't  have  to  "make  shoes  to  pay  ex- 
penses." A  considerable  number  of  business  men  have, 
in  recent  years,  visited  strategic  points  in  the  Associa- 
tion world ;  a  few  have  i)robably  encircled  the  world ; 
but  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  James  Stokes  was 
the  first  lay  member  of  the  world  Brotherhood  to  make 
the  journe}'  and  make  it  thoroughly  and  studiously  and 
at  his  own  charges.  The  Order  of  Self-Supporting  Na- 
tive Workers  contains  a  goodly  fellowship,  including 
Theodore  Koosevelt,  Henry  Drummond,  and  the  Earl 
of  Shaftesbury,  ilay  their  tribe  increase.  They  shall 
shine  as  the  stars  forever. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  181)()  that  Mr.  Stokes  em- 
barked from  San  Francisco  ui)on  a  two  years'  tour. 
This  brief  monograph  can  touch  only  the  high  points  of 
his  journey.  In  referring  to  his  letters  and  reports, 
one  is  imjjressed  with  the  fact  that  the  maze  of  bewil- 
dering natural  scenery,  Oriental  architecture,  ancient 
civilization,  customs,  costumes,  venerable  religions,  and 
the  thousand  and  one  characteristics  which  ditlerenti- 
ate  Asia  from  the  West,  ne\er  for  a  moment  obscured 


78  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

his  vision,  which  was  ever  fixed  upon  the  .voiinf?  men  of 
the  East.  Hawaii's  volcanoes,  Japan's  Fujiyama  and 
Inland  Sea,  China's  overflowing  cities,  lacework  of 
canals,  and  towering  pagodas,  India's  Himalayas  and 
Taj  Mahal,  Egypt's  Pyramids,  Palestine's  memories, 
filled  and  thrilled  his  sympathetic  nature,  but  the  young 
men  of  Asia  and  their  redemption  absorbed  him  almost 
to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else;  their  needs,  their 
part  in  Asia's  uplift,  their  fraternization  with  the  young 
men  of  the  West  constituted  the  crown  of  his  inquiries, 
his  proposals,  his  counsel,  his  beneficence. 

His  old  comrades  in  arms  may  be  surprised,  but  all 
will  be  i)rofoundly  interested,  especially  at  this  time 
w'hen  the  world's  council  cliambers  are  echoing  and 
reechoing  with  the  discussion  of  a  Peace  League,  to 
knoAv  that,  during  the  closing  months  of  his  tour,  Mr, 
Stokes  conversed  and  corresi)onded  witli  British  states- 
men concerning  Anglo-American  i>olitical  relations. 
He  saw  from  afar  what  the  world's  greatest  Armaged- 
don has  brought  nigh  to  us,  the  good  time  coming,  when 

"Man  to  Man  the  warld  o'er. 
Shall  brothers  be  for  a'  that!" 

when  a  Parliament  of  Mankind,  the  Federation  of  the 
World,  shall  consign  war  to  the  limbo  of  medieval  bru- 
tality ;  when  the  old  and  the  present  systems  of  feudal- 
ism, with  their  multitudinous  conflicting  and  contend- 
ing divisions,  shall  have  been  conciliated,  harmonized, 
and  united ;  when  the  principalities,  the  powers,  the 
rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world  shall  be  confronted 
by  an  all-conquering  host,  mobilized  from  all  nations 
and  peoples  and  tongues,  from  whose  vanguard  a  nail- 
marked  hand  waves  a  flag. 

It  was  my  rare  privilege  to  witness  personally  one  of 


MR.  STANDFAST  OV  Til  10  Y.  M.  (\A.         70 

the  most  iiiipressixo  iiuideuts  of  Mr.  Stokes's  excep- 
tional career.  He  so  hij^lily  appraised  and  magnified 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  that  he  believed 
the  best  memento  he  could  bestow  upon  the  sovereigns 
of  Great  Britain  and  lMn'0]te,  whom  he  i)ersonally  vis- 
ited, was  a  handsomely  bound  coi)y  of  the  Keport  of  the 
International  Convention  in  1901,  which  commenjo- 
rated  the  completion  of  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  work 
of  the  Association  in  America.  He  had  given  copies  to 
the  Czar  of  Russia,  Ihe  German  Kaiser,  and  King  VA- 
ward.  He  determined  to  signalize  the  occasion  of  the 
jubilee  anniversary  of  the  Washington  City  Association 
by  presenting  a  copj^  to  President  Koosevelt.  He  was 
accompanied  by  a  small  group  of  Association  men. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  appropriate  than  his 
presentation  address,  in  the  course  of  which  he  referred 
feelingly  to  his  membershiii  as  a  child  in  the  Sunday 
school  superintended  by  Mr.  Roosevelt's  father.  In  that 
address  James  Stokes  arose  to  the  very  height  of  his 
public  utterances.  The  President  was  visibly  affected, 
so  much  so  that  he  enjoined  secrecy  upon  the  reporters 
present  while  he  poured  forth  for  twenty  minutes  a  per- 
fect torrent  of  such  appreciation  of  the  Association  as 
I  have  never  heard  equaled ;  and  I  have  heard  from  sev- 
eral crowned  heads  of  Europe  very  impressive  expres- 
sions of  appreciation  of  the  great  Brotherhood.  Among 
other  things  Mr.  Roosevelt  said,  ''Don't  hurry  away; 
I  want  to  have  a  real  heart-to-heart  talk  with  you  men. 
I  am  continually  called  upon  to  review  all  sorts  of  dele- 
gations rejjresentiug  all  kinds  of  enterprises.  Too 
often,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  these  representatives  seem 
only  intent  upon  benefiting  their  own  poor  little  souls. 
Y'ou  men,  however,  are  only  aiming  to  help  the  other 
fellow;  and  by  George!  it's  a  privilege  to  greet  you  and 


80  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

linfj;er  here  with  voii  and  tell  yon  liow  ninch   I  believe 
iu  you." 

An  appreriation  of  James  Stokes  would  be  utterly 
incomplete  Avhieli  did  not  take  account  of  his  old- 
fashioned,  childlike,  unswerving  confidence  iu  and  de- 
pendence upon  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  an  infallible  rule 
of  faith  and  practice,  as  the  all-sutJicient  mauutil  of  the 
Christian  workman,  fully  inspired  and  adapted  to  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men  in  all  the  world  throughout 
all  time.  I  am  not  aware  that  he  ever  took  much  time 
out  of  his  bus^-  life  to  consider  and  refute  destructive 
criticism.  My  impression  is  that  when  he  was  con- 
verted he  became  as  a  little  child  in  his  attitude  toward 
(lod's  revelation.  Our  greatest  American  humorist,  if 
not  indeed  the  world's  greatest,  who  was  a  true  i)hilo.s- 
()l)her,  once  remarked,  "It  isn't  the  things  in  the  Bible 
1  don't  understand  that  worry  me;  it's  the  things  I  do 
understand.''  Moody  once  said  abruptly  to  George 
Adam  Smith,  "What's  the  use  of  talking  about  two 
Isaiahs  when  most  people  don't  even  know  there's  one?'' 
I  believe  that  James  Stokes  quickly  tabled  a  good  many 
hard  religious  proj)ositions  to  be  taken  uj)  as  Unfin- 
ished Business  when  the  Parliament  of  Mankind  con- 
venes in  the  Throne  Room  in  Paradise.  The  writers  of 
Revelation  will  be  there  and  will  do  their  own  interpret- 
ing. Even  if  thej*  wrote  at  times  what  they  did  not  fully 
understand  and  what  angels  themselves  desire  to  look 
into  and  do  not  fully  grasp, 

''God    is    His    own    interpreter, 
And  He  will  make  it  plain." 

The  last  time  I  met  him  was  at  the  dinner  of  the 
International  Committee  held  at  the  Waldorf  in  the 
autumn  of  1000.    It  was  then  and  there  that  he  intro- 


MK.  STANDFAST  OF  TIIF  Y.  M.  C.  A.         81 

thiced  me  to  the  elect  lady  who  entered  so  intelligently, 
zealously,  and  faithfully  into  the  work  of  the  last  dec- 
ade of  his  life  on  earth.  Uis  voice  and  hand  grasp  and 
old  time  heartiness  were  unchanged.  It  proved  to  be 
our  last  good-by — no,  not  our  last;  the  Germans  can- 
not even  by  their  recent  behavior  blot  out  the  bright- 
ness of  their  proverb,  "Christians  never  say  good-by 
for  the  last  time."  Since  then  our  duties  have  led  us 
far  apart,  but  not  so  far  as  to  interrupt  my  acquaint- 
ance with  his  career,  which  was  crowded  to  the  end 
with  loving  service. 

The  startling  announcement  of  his  death  was  couched 
in  the  conventional  X'hraseology,  but  in  place  of  the 
formal  stilted  cold  type  I  read  with  the  inward  eye : 

"Then  there  came  forth  a  summons  for  Mr.  Stand- 
fast .  .  .  the  contents  whereof  were,  that  he  must  pre- 
pare for  a  change  of  life,  for  his  Master  was  not  willing 
that  he  should  be  so  far  from  Ilim  any  longer.  .  .  .  When 
Mr.  Standfast  had  thus  set  things  in  order,  and  the  time 
being  come  to  haste  him  away,  he  also  went  down  to 
the  river.  .  .  .  And  he  said,  'This  river  has  been  a  terror 
to  many;  yea,  the  thoughts  of  it  also  have  often 
frightened  me.  .  .  .  The  waters  indeed,  are  to  the  palate 
bitter  and  to  the  stomach  cold :  yet  the  thoughts  of 
what  I  am  going  to,  and  of  the  conduct  that  waits  for 
me  on  the  other  side,  doth  lie  as  a  glowing  coal  at 
my  heart.'  .  .  . 

"Now  while  he  was  thus  in  discourse,  his  countenance 
changed ;  his  strong  men  bowed  under  him :  and  after 
he  had  said,  'Take  me,  for  I  come  unto  Thee,'  he  ceased 
to  be  seen  of  them. 

"But  glorious  it  was  to  see  how  the  open  region  was 
filled  with  horses  and  chariots,  with  trumpeters  and 
pipers,  with  singers  and  players  on  stringed  instru- 
ments, to  welcome  the  pilgrims  as  they  went  up,  and 
followed  one  another  in  at  the  beautiful  gate  of  the 
city." 


VII 


THE   PAKIS   ASSOCIATION   AND    THE    EXTEN- 
SION OF  THE  MOVEMENT  ABROAD' 

Thomas  K.  Creb 

It  is  a  repetition  of  a  well-known  story  to  say  that 
the  first  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  or- 
ganized June  6,  1844,  in  London  by  George  Williams, 
and  that  it  was  not  till  1851  that  the  Association  idea 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  the  first  American  Associa- 
tions were  organized  almost  simultaneously  during 
that  year  in  Boston  and  Montreal.  The  same  year  it 
crossed  the  British  Channel,  with  its  founder,  and  the 
Paris  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  organ- 
ized, Mr.  Williams  being  })resent  at  the  meeting.  In 
the  earlier  years  the  Association  was  chiefly  a  religious 
work  for  young  men,  and  on  the  continent — where  it 
existed  at  all — it  was  almost  exclusively  so.  At  the 
same  time  there  was  in  Great  Britain  a  limited  min- 
istry to  the  social  and  educational  needs  of  young  men, 
embodied  in  reading-rooms,  lectures,  and  later  educa- 
tional classes. 

This  was  for  many  years  the  limit  of  the  work  in 


'The  late  Thomas  K.  Cree,  one  of  the  earliest  and  ablest 
International  secretaries,  was  loaned  by  the  International 
Committee  at  I\Ir.  Stokes's  request  for  a  year's  service  in  pio- 
neering the  Association  in  Paris  and  in  Europe.  He  left  this 
most  valuable  historical  statement.  At  the  risk  of  some  dupli- 
cation in  other  chapters  it  is  incorporated,  as  it  presents  the 
story  not  only  of  the  development  of  the  Paris  Association 
but  of  the  expansion  of  the  movement  throughout  all  Europe, 
as  a  result  of  the  vision  and  persistent  effort  of  Mr.  Stokea. 

82 


I'AKIS  AM)   i:XTi:XSIOX  ABliOAl)  .V, 

Great  Britain,  and  IVatures  other  than  religious  were 
very  few.  In  America,  the  Associations  developed  at 
first  into  a  general  work,  very  largely  religions,  and  for 
all  classes  of  i)eoi)l(',  the  workers  being  yonng  men,  but 
who  did  not  confine  their  activity  to  their  own  class. 
This  condition  continued  until  the  war  of  18G1-C5,  when 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  were  largely 
merged  into  the  Christian  Commission  or  died  out  from 
lack  of  interest.  On  the  continent,  the  Association 
largely  took  the  form  of  an  organization  in  a  particular 
church  for  its  own  young  men,  the  pastor  being  the 
self-appointed  president  and  the  only  office  holder,  and 
the  work  a  prayer  meeting  or  Bible  class  for  a  select 
number  of  young  men,  or  more  often  of  older  boys. 
This  largely  continued  to  be  the  continental  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  until  what  the  continen- 
tals call  the  "American  Associations"  began  to  be  or- 
ganized, the  first  being  the  one  in  Berlin,  which  was 
organized  in  18S2  by  a  secretary  of  the  American  Inter- 
national Committee. 

The  Paris  Association  was  a  broader  one  in  its  idea, 
in  that  it  was  not  attached  to  any  one  church  or  denom- 
ination, and  its  officers  and  members  were  laymen.  It 
was  a  very  small  affair,  with  but  about  thirty  members, 
having  no  rooms,  and  doing  very  little  except  holding 
an  occasional  open-air  meeting  and  stimulating  the 
religious  life  of  its  membership. 

The  American  Associations  decided  as  early  as  1854 
that  some  general  bond  of  union  was  necessary  to 
unify  and  strengthen  the  work.  The  first  Association 
convention  was  held  in  Buffalo  in  1854,  at  which  there 
were  nineteen  Associations  represented  by  thirty-seven 
<lelegates.  In  the  following  year  (1855)  by  a  concert 
of  action  in  which  the  leaders  of  the  American  move- 


84  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

niont  took  part,  a  coiifoioiice  of  tl\e  Associations  of  all 
lauds  was  held  in  Paris.  In  this  conference  thirty- 
eight  Associations  from  seven  countries  were  repre- 
sented by  thirty-five  delegates  and  sixty-three  corre- 
sponding members,  fifly-two  of  v/hom  were  from  France, 
largely  from  Paris.  This  conference  did  two  important 
things:  it  provided  for  a  conference  of  the  Associations 
of  all  lands  to  meet  every  three  or  four  years,  and 
agreed  upon  a  basis  of  membershij)  for  the  Associations 
recognized  by  the  union.  This  is  known  as  "The  Paris 
Basis,"  and  has  remained  unchanged,  being  reaffirmed 
in  the  Jubilee  World's  Conference  held  at  Paris  in  1905. 
Subsequent  conferences  were  held  every  three  or  four 
years,  the  arrangements  for  them  liaving  been  made  by 
London  brethren  until  1878,  when  the  conference  met 
in  Geneva.  At  each  of  these  conferences  America  was 
represented. 

In  18(32  Mr.  Stokes,  then  quite  a  young  man,  visited 
Paris  with  his  father  and  mother,  both  of  whom  were, 
and  had  been  for  years,  much  interested  in  tlie  French 
people.  Mr.  Stokes  tells  of  the  second  visit  of  La  Fay- 
ette to  America,  and  the  fact  that  La  Fayette,  ac- 
cording to  French  custom,  kissed  his  father,  then  a 
boy,  on  both  cheeks  made  a  deep  impression  on  the 
youth's  mind.  This  visit  of  Mr.  Stokes  with  his  parents 
to  Paris,  coupled  with  previous  and  later  visits  of  the 
parents,  had  not  a  little  to  do  witli  the  organization  of 
the  American  chai)el  on  l\ue  de  Berri  and  the  erection 
of  its  church,  which  has  been  a  source  of  pleasure  and 
spiritual  profit  to  American  tourists  and  residents  in 
Paris  for  forty  years  or  more. 

Mr.  Stokes,  as  an  Association  man,  took  the  trouble 
to  hunt  up  the  Paris  Association.  At  that  time  it  was  a 
rather  diflScult  quantity  to  locate.    Up  to  this  time  the 


PARIS  AND  EXTENSION  AUKOAD  S5 

expondiiure  of  the  I'aris  Associaliou  had  been  but  a  few 
hundred  francs  a  year,  most  of  which  was  receive<l  from 
the  modest  dues  of  its  limited  membership.  Mr.  Stokes 
had  been  actively  identified  wilh  the  New  York  Asso- 
ciation, and,  with  Hie  broader  ideas  engendered  by  it, 
he  suggested  the  desirability  of  rooms  and  a  larger 
work.  lie  found  little  response  from  the  French  mem- 
bership, with  its  conservative  ideas.  Believing  it  was 
not  only  desirable  but  feasible,  Mr.  Stokes,  under  the 
guidance  of  his  father  and  mother,  undertook  to  secure 
the  money  necessary  to  open  and  furnish  the  rooms  and 
inaugurate  a  larger  work.  With  contributions  from 
his  family,  and  by  an  appeal  to  American  bankers  and 
others  in  rai;is,  lie  was  able  to  secure  the  money  nec- 
essary to  begin  this  larger  work.  In  frequent  sub- 
sequent visits  and  by  correspondence,  Mr.  Stokes  main- 
tained his  interest  in  the  work  of  the  l*aris  Association, 
which  for  a  number  of  years,  in  common  with  the  Anglo- 
American  Association,  occupied  modest  quarters  on  the 
third  floor  of  a  building  situated  in  a  court  off  Rue 
Montmartre. 

After  the  close  of  the  American  war  in  ISGfi,  at  the 
Albany  convention,  representing  fifty-two  Associations, 
the  International  Committee  was  appointed  with  five 
members,  all  resident  in  New  York.  Mr.  Stokes  was 
one  of  the  five  original  members  of  this  Committee  and 
the  onl}^  one  that  continued  a  member  for  his  life  time. 
The  appointment  of  this  Committee  marked  a  new  era 
in  the  work  of  the  American  Associations  and  for  the 
movement  throughout  the  world.  In  1868  Mr.  Stokes 
again  visited  Europe,  this  time  as  a  member  of  the  In- 
ternational Committee,  and  was  its  first  representative 
to  carry  the  greeting  of  the  American  brotherhood  to 
the  European  Associations.  He  again  visited  the  Paris 


86  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

Association  and  a  number  of  other  continental  Associa- 
tions, and  on  his  return  made  a  report  of  their  work, 
which  was  the  first  official  report  of  the  work  abroad  re- 
ceived by  the  International  Committee,  and  led  to  fra- 
ternal and  helpful  intercourse. 

The  seventh  conference  of  the  Associations  of  all 
lands  was  held  in  Ilaniburg  in  1875.  For  the  first  time 
in  one  of  these  conferences  a  paper  was  presented  on 
the  work  of  the  American  group.  This  was  printed  in 
English,  French,  German,  and  Dutch,  and  reported  the 
organization  and  work  of  the  International  Commit- 
tee; the  organization,  growth,  and  extent  of  the  Amer- 
ican Associations;  their  fourfold  work  for  young  men; 
the  buildings  owned ;  the  secretaries  employed ;  and  a 
general  outline  of  the  work  done.  The  average  conti- 
nental Association  worker  gained  a  new  idea  of  the 
scope  of  such  a  work.  The  paper  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion, and  copies  in  the  four  languages  were  carried  to 
the  home  Associations  by  the  delegates. 

The  eighth  conference  was  held  in  Geneva  in  1878. 
There  were  forty-four  Americans  in  attendance,  double 
as  many  as  there  had  been  in  all  the  seven  previous 
conferences.  The  American  paper  read  and  distributed 
at  Hamburg,  giving  the  facts  relating  to  the  American 
work,  had  borne  fruit  in  a  paper  brought  to  Geneva  by 
the  French  delegates,  translated  and  printed  in  Eng- 
lish and  German,  and  advocating  the  api)ointment  of 
an  Executive  Committee  for  the  World's  Conference 
to  be  modeled  after  the  American  International  Com- 
mittee. Such  a  committee  was  ajipointed  by  the  con- 
ference of  1878,  and  located  at  Geneva,  a  quorum  of 
its  members  being  resident  there,  and  with  one  repre- 
sentative from  each  country  taking  part  in  the  confer- 
ence.   The  American  delegates  suggested  the  need  of  a 


TARIS  AM>   i:XTi:XSI()N   AUKOAD  ,S7 

General  Secretary  lor  the  new  coniniittee,  and  before 
the  conference  adjonrned  a  secretary  was  invited,  who 
proved  a  man  well  suited  to  the  time  and  place.  Ar- 
rangements were  made  for  him  to  visit  the  Amerieau 
Associations,  his  expenses  being  provided  for  by  Amer- 
ican frien<ls,  pi'ominent  among  whom  was  Mr.  Stokes. 
Later  similar  arrangements  were  made  for  leading 
European  secretaries  to  visit  America,  always  with 
symj)athy  and  encouragement  from  Mr.  Stokes. 

The  next  conference  was  held  in  London  in  1881. 
Seventy-five  American  delegates  were  in  attendance, 
and  again  the  American  work,  which  had  grown  very 
considerably,  was  well  presented.  At  the  Berlin  con- 
vention in  1884  there  were  forty-six  American  dele- 
gates, and  at  Stockholm  in  1888  there  were  fifty-five. 
At  this  conference  Mr.  Stokes  was  chosen  as  an  Amer- 
ican member  of  the  World's  Committee. 

The  next  conference  was  held  at  Amsterdam  in  1891, 
with  eighty-three  Americans  in  attendance.  Between 
the  Stockholm  and  the  Amsterdam  conferences,  Mr. 
Cree,  as  the  representative  of  Mr.  Stokes,  had  spent  sev- 
eral months  of  each  of  the  three  years  in  Paris.  He 
visited  Geneva  and  Loudon  a  number  of  times,  and  in 
conference  with  the  Central  Committee,  and  the  London 
and  some  of  the  continental  brethren,  had  secured  their 
approval  of  the  rules  he  had  prepared  for  the  Commit- 
tee and  conferences,  which  were  afterward  adopted 
without  any  dissent  at  the  Amsterdam  conference. 
Under  these  rules  all  subsequent  conferences  have  been 
conducted.  At  the  Loudon  conference  and  Jubilee  in 
1894,  the  thirteenth,  there  were  17:3  American  delegates. 

The  American  delegations  to  these  various  conferences 
visited  Paris  from  time  to  time,  and  were  hospitably 
received  by  the  l*aris  Association.    Efforts  were  made 


88  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

by  them  to  inaugnrate  a  national  movement  for  France, 
and  a  larger  work  for  Paris.  In  1886-7,  on  the  invita- 
tion of  Mr.  Stokes  and  at  his  expense,  the  secretary  of 
the  Paris  Association  visited  America.  He  attended  a 
state  convention,  visited  many  Associations,  and  went 
back  with  some  advanced  ideas  of  Association  work. 
As  a  result,  the  Paris  Association  grew  from  about 
thirt}^  to  some  eighty  members,  and  its  expenses  in- 
creased to  some  7,500  francs  per  year.  At  this  impor- 
tant juncture  Mr.  Stokes  came  forward,  and  having 
secured  the  services  of  Mr.  Franklin  Gaylord,  of  New 
York,  who  had  been  a  resident  of  Paris  and  was  famil- 
iar with  the  French  language,  sent  him  to  that  city  as 
his  representative,  agreeing  to  pay  his  salary  and  to 
meet  his  traveling  and  other  extra  exjjenses.  Mr.  Gay- 
lord  went  to  I*aris  in  1887.  He  carefully  studied  the 
situation,  won  the  resi)ect  and  esteem  of  the  Paris 
brethren,  and  spent  a  year  in  laying  foundations  for  a 
better  work. 

After  Mr.  Gaylord  had  spent  a  year  in  Paris,  Mr. 
Stokes  induced  Mr.  Cree  to  go  to  that  city,  as  his  rep- 
resentative and  at  his  expense,  to  aid  Mr.  Gaylord  in 
reorganizing  the  work  of  the  Association,  promising 
generous  help  to  such  a  movement.  After  a  very  brief 
study  of  the  situation,  Mr.  Cree  decided  that  a  complete 
reorganization  of  the  Paris  Association  was  necessary, 
and  at  once  prepared  a  constitution,  modeled  after 
those  in  use  in  America,  and  secured  a  Board  of  Direc- 
tors, earnest  Christian  men  rei)resenting  the  different 
churches,  and  active  in  business  life.  After  much  dis- 
cussion he  secured  the  adoi)tion  of  a  new  constitution 
by  the  Paris  Association.  In  connection  with  Mr.  Gay- 
lord, he  suggested  many  changes  and  improvements  in 
the    work,    which    the    Paris    young    men    gradually 


^fc 


J'AKIS  xVNl)  I]XTENS10N  ABKOAI)  89 

adopted.  Larger  and  better  rooms  were  securetl  at  a 
rental  of  15,000  francs  per  year — double  the  amount  of 
the  entire  expense  of  the  Association  in  its  old  location. 
Before  the  change  could  be  made,  it  was  necessary 
that  the  money  needed  to  carry  on  the  enlarged  work 
should  be  secured  on  a  budget  of  45,000  francs  per  year 
for  three  years.  The  amount  necessary  seemed  in  Paris 
a  very  large  sum.  Mr.  Stokes  generously  promised 
5,000  francs  annually  for  three  years.  The  maximum 
annual  subscription  that  it  seemed  possible  to  secure 
from  one  person  in  Paris  was  1,000  francs.  The  plans 
were  submitted  to  Mr.  Alfred  Andre,  a  banker,  a  man 
of  wealth  and  influence,  a  leader  in  every  religious  and 
benevolent  work  in  Paris,  who,  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Stokes,  made  possible  the  work  afterwards  done  there. 
The  movement  commended  itself  to  him,  and  he  ex- 
pressed regret  that  he  was  leaving  the  city  to  be  gone 
some  months  and  could  not  help  to  secure  the  money; 
but,  to  the  suri)rise  of  Mr.  Cree  and  Mr.  Gaylord,  he 
guaranteed  a  sum  equal  to  that  given  by  Mr.  Stokes, 
5,000  francs  per  year  for  three  years,  Avhich  sum  he 
afterward  increased  to  7,000  francs.  Mr.  Gaylord  and 
Mr.  Cree  then  started  out  to  secure  the  balance  needed. 
Fifty  francs  per  year  had  been  the  largest  regular  con- 
tribution to  the  Association.  Twenty  francs  (P.OO) 
was  a  generous  contribution,  and  ten  francs,  five 
francs,  and  even  less,  were  more  common.  To  ask  a 
man,  who  had  for  years  been  giving  twenty  francs  an- 
nually, to  give  1,000  francs  a  year  for  three  years,  or  to 
promise  3,000  francs  at  one  time,  to  an  organization  in 
which  he  had  no  interest,  about  which  he  knew  almost 
nothing,  and  whose  work  had  been  seemingly  most  in- 
significant, seemed  rather  presumptuous,  and  yet  that 
was  just  what  was  done.    Several  gave  1,000  francs  per 


90  JA.AIES  STOKES— PIONEER 

vear.  and  lianlly  auyoiie  wlio  was  asked  declined  lo  give. 
Ill  a  very  .short  time  the  amoimt  needed  was  j)ledged 
for  three  years.  Mr.  Stokes  arranged,  at  his  own  ex- 
])ense,  to  send  Mr.  Theis,  one  of  the  active  members  of 
the  I'aris  Association,  to  America  to  take  a  course  of 
training  at  (he  Association  training  school  in  Si)ring- 
field.  He  then  returned  to  I'aris  to  take  the  i>osition 
of  assistant  secretary,  and  after  Mr.  Gaylord  returned 
to  America  he  became  the  secretary.  In  addition  to  the 
generous  donation  of  |l,()()0  annually,  Mr.  Stokes  con- 
tinued, as  he  had  been  doing,  to  pay  the  salary  of 
Mr.  Gaylord. 

While  the  changes  in  I'aris  were  being  made.  Mi". 
Cree,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Stokes,  visited  Lyon,  where 
there  was  an  Association  which  had  rooms  but  no  sec- 
retary. He  arranged  for  a  reorganization  of  the  Asso- 
ciation and  the  enii)Ioyment  of  a  secretary,  and  agreed 
to  secure  from  American  friends  the  money  necessary 
to  supplement  the  amount  to  be  raised  in  Lyon. 

During  the  winter,  Mr.  Cree,  as  Mr.  Stokes's  rei)re- 
sentative,  made  a  hurried  visit  to  Rome,  and  held  a 
meeting  with  all  the  evangelical  Italian  ]»astors,  each 
being  accom])anied  by  a  layman,  and  laid  before  them 
plans  for  organizing  an  Association  for  that  city.  But 
not  until  two  years  later,  when  Mr.  Cree  again  visited 
Kome,  was  an  organization  effected  by  the  adoj)tion  of 
a  constitution  suggested  by  him  and  similar  to  the  one 
adoj)ted  by  the  I'aris  Association.  He  then  secured  by 
solicitation  the  money  necessary  to  rent  rooms,  agreeing 
to  secure  from  American  friends  the  amount  necessary 
to  supplement  the  contributions  of  the  Roman  i)eople. 
The  rooms  were  soon  opened.  Dr.  Robert  Prochet,  a 
physician  and  a  leader  in  the  Roman  Association,  vis- 
ited America  on  the  invitation  and  at  the  expense  of 


TAKIS  AM>   i:XTKXSl()X  AP.KOAD  HI 

Mr.  Stokes,  and  was  a  iiiosi  valuable  lielpci-  in  the  sub- 
se(i\ient  enlargement  of  (he  work.  Mr.  l*era/.ziui,  a 
yonnji;  Italian,  also  came  to  America  (»n  Mr.  Stokes's 
invitation  and  took  a  two-years'  course  at  the  Spring- 
field training  school,  after  which  he  returned  to  Home 
well  qualilied  to  take  charge  of  the  work  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. Subsequently  Mr.  Campello,  a  member  of  a 
well-known  Italian  evangelical  family,  also  came  to 
America  on  the  invitation  of  Mr.  Stokes,  and  at  his 
expense  took  a  full  course  at  the  Springfield  training 
school,  with  the  view  of  leading  in  a  national  Associa- 
tion work  in  Italy.  Mr.  Stokes  also  tried  to  find  a 
Sj)aiiish  young  man  adai)ted  to  Association  work,  with 
the  intention  of  bringing  him  to  America  and  giving 
him  a  course  of  training  for  secretaryship  in  Spain, 
but  such  a  person  could  not  be  found. 

In  18S1)  Mr.  Cree  again  visited  Taris  as  Mr.  Stokes's 
representative,  and  spent  some  time  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  the  Association,  which  under  Mr.  Gaylord 
had  become  very  eflicient,  the  membership  having  in- 
creased to  over  five  hundred.  During  this  visit  he 
made  inquiry  in  regard  to  the  price  of  property,  and 
sounded  the  French  friends  in  regard  to  a  building. 
Under  French  laws  a  building  could  not  be  held  by 
trustees.  Neither  could  the  Association  itself  hold  the 
proj)erty,  although  its  organization  had  been  authorized 
by  the  Government.  After  a  careful  study  of  the  situa- 
tion, he  returned  home  and  laid  the  matter  before 
Mr.  Stokes. 

The  next  year  he  returned  to  Paris,  authorized  by 
Mr.  Stokes  to  confer  with  French  friends  in  regard  to  a 
buihling,  and  to  meet,  if  possible,  the  difficulties  that 
were  in  the  way  of  securing  and  holding  such  property. 
After  a  careful  studv  of  the  situation,  he  decided  that 


92  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

the  organization  of  a  "^ocicte  Anonymc ,"  which  was 
antliorizcd  hy  French  laws,  was  the  only  solution  of  the 
question  of  holding  the  property.  It  was  arranged  that 
this  society  should  issue  stock  to  a  fair  proportion] 
cost  of  the  building,  which  it  was  later  agreed  should 
be  125  shares  of  a  par  value  of  5,000  francs  (f  1,000)  a 
share,  and  that  Mr.  Stokes  and  American  stockholders, 
selected  by  him,  should  hold  sixty-three  shares,  and  Mr. 
Andre  and  French  stockholders  sixty-two  shares,  these 
shares  to  elect  the  directors  of  the  society.  There  were 
to  be  nine  directors,  of  whom  five  were  to  be  French, 
a  majority  as  required  by  French  laws,  and  four  were 
to  be  Americans. 

Beginning  the  financial  canvass  with  the  members  of 
the  Association,  several  thousands  of  dollars  were 
pledged  by  the  membership.  With  this  as  a  start,  a  few 
larger  pledges  were  secured  from  French  friends. 

A  centrally  located  piece  of  property  came  into  the 
market,  which  was  just  what  the  Association  needed. 
Estimates  as  to  the  cost  of  a  building  were  made  and 
it  was  found  that  1,200,000  francs  would  be  required. 
It  was  finally  agreed  by  Mr.  Stokes  that  he  and  mem- 
bers of  his  family  would  give  500,000  francs  and  Mr. 
Andre,  who  had  subscribed  150,000  francs,  agreed  to 
be  responsible  for  500,000  francs  from  French  friends. 
Of  the  sum  promised,  the  sisters  of  ]\[r.  Stokes  contrib- 
uted 110,000,  Mr.  Stokes  himself  giving  the  balance, 
.f90,000.  Mr.  Andre  expected  to  contribute  .f30,000, 
pledges  for  fair  amounts  had  been  made  by  a  number 
of  French  friends,  and  it  was  expected  others  would 
be  secured. 

After  the  building  was  completed,  a  large  delegation 
of  the  French  brethren,  headed  by  Mr.  Andre,  attended 
the  London  Jubilee  Conference  in  1891.     After  return- 


PARIS  AND  EXTENSION  ABKOAD    03 

ing  to  Pai-is,  Mr.  Andi-o  increased  liis  already  largo 
gift:  of  ir»(K()0()  to  2r)(),(MM>  iraiics,  and  subseciuently  gave 
Ihe  balance  of  the  r)(K),()00  francs  that  was  nnjii'o- 
vided  for. 

Mr.  Stokes  visited  Paris  after  the  conference,  and 
the  new  building  was  dedicate<l  while  lie  was  there.  In 
recognition  of  his  generous  interest  in  the  young  men 
of  France,  the  (^ross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  was  con- 
ferred ujjon  him  by  the  French  (Joverninent.  The  con- 
ferring of  this  honor  was  ahnost  the  last  ollicial  act  of 
President  Carnot  before  his  assassination.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  I'aris  Association  presented  Mr.  Stokes 
with  a  diamond  cross,  the  insignia  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor.  Mr.  Jules  Seigfreid,  dex)nty  for  the  Seine,  on 
belialf  of  the  Government  presented  the  official  notifica- 
tion of  the  honor  conferred,  and  Mr.  Andre,  in  behalf 
of  the  Paris  Association,  presented  the  diamond  cross. 
Mr.  Stokes  responded  in  a  happy  speech  in  French. 
After  the  ceremony,  Mr.  Andre  kissed  Mr.  Stokes  on 
both  cheeks,  in  accordance  with  French  custom,  recall- 
ing the  similar  incident  between  La  Fa^^ette  and  Mr. 
Stokes's  father. 

During  this  visit,  Mr.  Stokes  familiarized  himself 
with  the  details  of  the  Societe  Anonymc,  the  new  con- 
stitution of  the  Association,  and  its  work.  Up  to  this 
time  he  had  continued  to  pay  the  salary  of  Mr.  Gaylord 
as  secrelar}'.  Much  to  his  regret  and  to  the  regret  of 
the  French  brethren,  Mr.  Gaylord,  for  family  reasons, 
decided  to  resign  and  return  to  New  York.  Providen- 
tially Mr.  Theis,  the  assistant  secretary,  was  ready  to 
take  his  place.  Mr.  Stokes  then  sent  an  American, 
trained  at  the  Springfield  training  school,  to  Paris  as 
physical  director,  and  paid  his  salarj-  as  long  as  he 
remained.    He  also  gave  a  brother  of  Mr.  Theis  a  full 


94  .lAMES  «T()KES— IMONEEK 

coiir.se  of  traininf;  at  the  Spriutrfield  school  as  a  physi- 
cal director. 

In  addition  to  the  mortgage  debt  of  200,000  francs, 
there  had  been  accnmnlated  a  floating  debt  of  lOojOOO 
francs.  This  was  laid  before  Mr.  Stokes  and  Mr.  Andre, 
and  the  result  was  that,  notwithstanding  the  large  con- 
tributions already  made,  each  of  them  agreed  to  pay 
one-half  of  this  indebtedness,  making  the  personal  gift 
of  Mr.  Stokes  to  the  building  amount  to  over  500,000 
francs  (|100,000).  In  addition,  Mr.  Stokes  had  made 
a  large  annual  contribution  to  the  current  expenses  of 
the  Association,  paid  the  salary  of  Mr.  Gaylord,  and 
later  that  of  the  physical  director,  educated  Mr.  Theis 
and  his  brother,  paid  the  expense  of  the  visit  of  the 
architect  to  America,  and  the  cost  of  the  American 
plans  for  the  building,  besides  other  exjienses,  which 
made  his  gift  a  large  and  most  generous  one,  well 
worthy  of  the  recognition  accorded  to  it  by  the  French 
Government  and  the  Paris  Association  and  its  friends. 

The  membership  of  the  Association  increased  to 
nearly  1,000,  the  work  in  every  dei)artment  was  a  most 
efficient  one,  and  the  future  of  the  Association,  as  a 
helpful  factor  in  the  life  of  a  large  number  of  French 
young  men,  was  assured. 

While  the  work  of  the  l*aris  Association  was  in  prog- 
ress, efforts  were  made  from  time  to  time  under  the 
helpful  sui)ervision  of  Mr.  Stokes  for  the  large  number 
of  students  gathered  in  Paris,  one  of  the  great  student 
centers  of  the  world.  Mr.  James  B.  Reynolds,  a  Yale 
graduate,  rei)resenting  the  American  college  Associa- 
tions, visited  Paris  twice  in  connection  with  this  work, 
as  did  Mr.  John  R.  Mott,  college  secretary  of  the  Amer- 
ican International  Couimittee.  At  first  scarcely  more 
than  a  dozen  students  could  be  gathered  to  consider  the 


I'liE  Paris;,  France,  Association'  BriLDiNc 
Duriiifi  the  War  the  bviilding  was  usod  as  a  hospital  and  became 
the  center  of  a  gracious  work  headetl  bv  Count  de  Pourtal(>s. 


TAKIS  AM)   EXTENSION   Ali|{()Al»  !••") 

subject,  but  by  patient  olTort  ext(Mi(liii«;  over  throe  years 
au  orguuizatiou  was  elfected,  and  neaily  :*.()()  Freueh 
studeuts  became  members  of  it. 

As  a  direct  result  of  the  Paris  Association,  tlujugh 
in  no  way  connected  willi  it,  a  movement  was  started 
in  the  interest  of  American  yonnj;  men  students  in 
Paris.  Anotlier  outj^rowth,  iliou<;h  it  also  was  inde- 
pendent, was  a  movement  for  American  students  of 
both  sexes,  a  religious  work,  which  continued  with  good 
success  until  its  leader  died.  Another  similar  move- 
ment for  the  same  class  followed  it  and  did  a  good 
work.  All  of  these  movements  were  in  the  Latin  or 
students'  quarter  of  th,e  city,  and  had  American  influ- 
ence back  of  them.  A  boarding  home  for  American 
young  women  students  can  also  be  traced  as  resulting, 
to  some  extent,  from  the  Association  building. 

In  addition  to  work  for  students,  Mr.  Stokes  also 
interested  himself  in  work  for  French  railroad  men. 
Mr.  Hicks,  railroad  secretary  of  the  International  Com- 
mittee, under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Stokes,  visited  the 
railway  centers  in  Paris  and  interviewed  leading  rail- 
way men.  Mr.  Stokes  also  tried  to  induce  a  representa- 
tive French  railroad  man  to  visit  America,  attend  an 
annual  convention  of  railroad  men,  and  see  the  work  of 
the  railroad  Associations,  offering  to  pay  all  the  ex- 
penses of  such  a  person.  But  the  right  man  could  not 
be  induced  to  make  the  trip. 

After  the  comi)letion  of  the  French  Association  build- 
ing, and  the  thorough  reorganization  of  the  work,  Mr. 
Stokes  not  only  continued  his  generous  donations  to  it 
annually,  but  maintained  his  interest  in  the  details  of 
the  work.  During  a  subsequent  visit  to  Paris  recep- 
tions were  held,  at  his  suggestion  and  under  his  per- 
sonal direction,  in  the  homes  of  influential  and  wealthv 


96  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

people,  where  the  Association  work  coukl  be  presented 
and  the  interest  of  persons  secured  who  could  not  be 
reached  by  the  ordinary  efforts  of  the  Association. 

A  direct  result  of  the  building  and  its  work  was  the 
building  of  a  Young  Women's  Christian  Association.  A 
lady  who  was  entirely  unknown  to  the  Association 
people,  attracted  by  the  report  of  the  new  Association 
building,  visited  it  and  was  courteously  shown  over 
the  building  and  informed  in  regard  to  its  work.  At 
once  she  proposed  to  jirovide  a  building  for  a  similar 
work  for  young  women,  and  to  meet  the  exi)ense  inci- 
dent to  it,  on  condition  that  the  management  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  should  be  extended 
to  it.  A  building  was  bought  and  remodeled  to  suit  the 
work  for  young  Avomen,  at  a  cost  of  000,000  francs,  all 
of  which  was  paid  by  the  lady  herself.  A  splendid 
opportunity  was  offered  for  a  model  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association,  and  Mr.  Stokes,  Mr.  Cree,  and 
the  leaders  in  the  international  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Association  movement  made  every  possible  effort 
to  secure  it;  but  the  money  being  French,  and  nothing 
being  known  from  experience  about  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  work,  the  brethren  could  not  be 
induced  to  inaugurate  an  American  organization  for 
young  women,  as  they  had  done  in  their  work  for 
young  men. 

One  of  the  first  things  Mr.  Cree  did  after  arranging 
for  the  change  in  the  Paris  Association  was  to  give  his 
attention  to  the  French  national  Association  work. 
There  was  a  so-called  National  Committee,  but  it  con- 
sisted of  a  few  self-appointed  members,  all  residents  of 
Lyon,  and  its  duty  was  to  call  a  national  convention 
annually,  arrange  for  its  meetings,  and  secure  dele- 
gates to  the  conferences  of  all  lands.    Mr.  Stokes  inter- 


I'ARIS  AND  EXTENSION  ABROAD  97 

ested  hiinseir  in  lliis  work,  niid,  uiuIcm-  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Cree,  a  national  secretary  was  i)lace(l  in  cliarj^e  for 
four  mouths  of  each  year,  assumiug  supervision  of  all 
the  French  Association  work.  It  was  the  wish  of  Mr. 
Blokes  and  Mr.  Cree  tliat  a  real  rei)resentative  National 
Committee  should  be  appointed  with  headquarters  in 
Paris,  and  a  national  secretary  placed  in  charge  of  it. 
After  the  completion  of  the  Paris  building,  this  change 
was  effected.  Mr.  Andre  was  elected  chairman,  and 
Mr.  Emmanuel  Sautter  secretary.  Before  taking  up 
the  work,  Mr.  Sautter  visited  America  on  the  invitation 
of  Mr.  Stokes,  Organizations  were  effected  and  sec- 
retaries placed  in  a  number  of  French  cities,  three  new 
Association  buildings  were  secured,  and  the  work  was 
greatly  strengthened. 

After  the  organization  of  the  Berlin  Christliclier 
Vercin  Junger  Manner  by  a  secretary  of  the  American 
International  Committee,  Mr.  Christian  Phildius  was 
secured  for  its  secretary.  He  inaugurated  a  similar 
work  in  other  German  cities  and  instituted  a  secretarial 
training  school  in  Berlin,  in  which  he  trained  secre- 
taries for  them  and  later  for  other  continental  cities. 
Mr.  I'hildius  was  persistent,  but  very  wise  in  the  direc- 
tion and  extension  of  his  work.  He  had  back  of  him 
the  influence  of  the  court  and  army  circles,  prominent 
leaders  in  the  national  church  Avhose  influence  extended 
all  over  Germany,  and  the  leading  business  men  of  Ber- 
lin and  other  cities,  and  the  niarked  success  of  his  work 
and  his  careful  and  persistent  presentation  of  it  finally 
won  the  confidence  of  those  recognized  leaders  in  the 
larger  German  cities. 

The  training  and  success  of  Mr,  Phildius  induced  Mr, 
Stokes  and  other  friends  of  the  World's  Committee  to 
favor    his    becoming  one  of  its  General   Secretaries. 


98  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

After  his  election  to  this  oflSce  Mr.  Phildius  visited 
Russia,  Scandinavia,  Holland,  Germany,  and  other  con- 
tinental countries,  jjarlicnlarly  the  Teutonic  lands,  and 
did  a  most  excellent  work  in  the  line  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced Association  methods.  One  im])ortant  result  of 
his  addition  to  the  secretarial  force  of  the  World's  Com- 
mittee was  to  open  the  way  for  the  addition  of  Count 
Bernstorff  to  that  Committee,  as  one  of  the  two  Ger- 
man representatives,  and  with  his  cooperation  there 
came  about  the  gradual  advancement  of  the  real  Asso- 
ciation movement  in  Germany,  with  the  assent  of  the 
German  National  Committee  and  its  secretary  and 
workers. 

Not  only  did  Mr.  Stokes  give  generously  in  money  to 
these  and  the  other  advanced  movements  on  the  con- 
tinent and  elsewhere,  but  he  spared  no  expense  in  se- 
curing the  best  help  possible  in  directing  them.  He 
brought  to  America,  at  large  exjiense,  for  training 
either  in  the  training  schools  or  by  contact  with  the 
work,  the  best  obtainable  men.  At  the  same  time,  he 
gave  a  great  deal  of  his  time,  thought,  and  eftort  to 
guiding  and  directing  the  work  abroad,  and  enlisted 
the  cooperation  and  support  of  the  most  experienced 
men  in  American  Association  work. 


VI TI 

ITALY'S  CALL  ANSWERED  BY  JAMES  STOKES 

Hale  P.  Benton 

Twenty-five  years  ago  the  world-wide  movement  of 
the  Association  liad  not  penetrated  to  Italian  soil.  The 
young  men  of  Konie  were  the  first  to  awaken  to  this 
fact,  to  a  realization  of  the  immense  advantages  that 
other  lands  were  enjoying  and  they  were  missing.  Small 
gronps  of  3'onng  Italians  eager  for  spiritual  and  intel- 
lectual development  had  gathered  around  the  native 
evangelical  churches,  but  no  attempt  had  been  made 
among  them  to  join  forces  upon  common  ground.  In 
181)5  several  of  these  societies,  led  mainly  by  a  literary 
club  founded  by  the  Waldensians  (Italian  Presbyteri- 
ans) and  by  a  Students'  League  connected  with  the 
Italian  Baptist  Church,  met  under  the  auspices  of  the 
World's  Committee  at  Geneva,  and  organized  the 
first  native  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  or  Asso- 
(ia^ione  Cristiana  ilcUa  Gioventit,  as  it  has  been  appro- 
priately translated  into  the  Italian.  In  a  short  time  a 
competent  Board  was  selected,  an  active  secretary 
found,  subscriptions  started,  premises  secured,  equip- 
ment installed  in  library,  reading,  class,  and  lecture 
rooms,  and  pioneer  work  by  Italians  and  for  Italians 
was  started  in  the  heart  of  old  Rome. 

Two  years  went  by,  years  of  struggle,  but  of  prac- 
tical and  profitable  experience  and  steady  expansion. 
The  rented  rooms,  though  spacious,  soon  became  over- 
crowded with  young  Italians  of  all  classes,  mainly  stu- 


100  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

(leuls  and  business  men,  1o  whom  the  nnnsual  privi- 
leges, ideals,  comforts,  and  homelike  atmosphere  of  a 
cheerfnl  '"Y,"  even  though  in  its  experimental  stage, 
were  not  only  an  innovation  but  a  revelation.  Thus 
from  a  modest  literary  or  debating  society,  the  Roman 
''A.  C.  D.  G."  soon  developed  into  a  popular,  public  in- 
stitution with  demands  upon  it  and  duties  to  fulfil  far 
beyond  its  original  cai)acity  and  resources. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  twenty  years  ago,  when  hopes 
were  strong  but  hearts  were  weak  under  the  weight  of 
increasing  responsibilities,  that  a  timely  friend  and 
supporter  was  found  in  James  Stokes.  His  remark- 
able activity  and  success  in  founding  and  pioneering 
the  work  in  France  and  Russia  were  well  known  to  the 
early  strugglers  in  Rome.  They  found  inspiration  in 
the  large-heartedness  he  had  manifested  toward  the 
young  men  of  these  countries,  and  one  day  they  made 
bold  to  send  their  president  across  the  ocean  to  seek 
him  out  and  enlist  his  interest  in  Italy. 

Mr.  Stokes  responded  to  the  appeal  in  a  manner  char- 
acteristic of  himself.  He  sent  no  messeugere  to  Rome, 
but  ])romi)tly  journeyed  there  in  person  to  see  with 
his  own  eyes  what  the  Romans  w'ere  doing.  I  chanced 
to  be  presiding  at  a  committee  meeting  in  our  Associa- 
tion the  day  he  arrived  and,  though  more  than  twenty 
years  have  elapsed,  I  distinctly  recall  my  impressions 
at  that  first  encounter. 

His  keen  gaze,  direct  speech,  frankness,  and  rather 
abrupt  manner  could  not  hide  from  me  his  merry 
twinkle  and  the  warm  heart  that  lurked  behind.  Nor 
did  I  experience  an}'  discomfiture  under  the  expected 
well-aimed  criticisms  of  a  skillful  general,  which  he 
fired  at  our  early  mistakes  of  organization.  Unfortu- 
nately, like  all  beginners,  we  had  made  not  a  few,  and 


ITALY'S  CALL  ANSWERED  101 

wo  wore  pjlad  to  (ake  advantage  of  tlio  cxjjorlonce  and 
Toresiglit  osijccially  of  a  veteran  woi'ker  and  i)ioneer  in 
other  Latin  countries.  Such  friendsliii)  and  a;ssistance 
might  not  bo  easy  to  gain,  we  felt,  hut  once  fully  given, 
would  not  be  wilhdrawn.  lie  would  back  thone  who 
wore  willing  to  help  themselves — a  wise  condition, 
which,  I  afterwards  learned,  he  invariably  insisted 
upon. 

The  experie)H-e  of  after  years  fully  conrirmed  these 
early  iini)ressions.  1  consider  it  a  privilege  to  be  able 
to  look  back  over  many  years  of  close  relationship  with 
Mr.  Stokes,  not  only  in  Association  work,  but  in  per- 
sonal matteis  as  well,  during  times  of  sorrow  or  ad- 
versity, and  to  be  able  to  acknowledge  to  myself  that  I 
have  been  the  gainer  in  many  Avays  by  his  friendship, 
and  by  the  stanch,  sterling  qualities  I  found  in  his 
heart. 

Loyalty,  symi)athy,  large-hoartedness,  constantly  ex- 
pressed in  (piiel  acts  of  thoughtful  kindness  to  others 
— these,  truly,  were  the  outstanding  traits  of  his  char- 
acter. All  who  knew  him  are  at  one  in  this.  Undoubt- 
edly it  was  the  great  yearning  in  his  heart  to  discover 
and  meet  the  needs  of  his  fellows  that  endowed  him 
with  a  peculiar  power,  not  only  of  sympathetic  under- 
standing but  of  vision.  His  discernment  and  his  wise 
nse  of  the  unbounded  possibilities  within  his  range  for 
helping  others  were  remarkable. 

Only  such  gifts  could  have  enabled  him,  twenty  j'^ears 
ago,  to  look  in  faith  and  jjrophetic  vision  beyond  what 
then  appeared  to  be  an  insurmountable  barrier  of  dilli- 
ciilties  and  see  in  Italy  a  rich  field  of  promise  for  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  lie  believed  thor- 
oughly in  Italy's  destiny  and  from  the  beginning  freely 
gave  every  encouragement  to  the  plan  of  establishing 


102  JAMES  STOKES— nONEER 

a  permanent  home  for  the  work  already  developing 
in  Rome. 

Following  Mr.  Stokes's  snggestion  and  in  anticipa- 
tion of  his  arrival,  the  committee  had  prepared  a  list  of 
suitable  available  buildings,  and  well  do  1  remember 
a  certain  cold,  rainy  day  in  1897  when  v.e  wandered 
with  him  up  and  down  over  the  seven  hills  of  the  "Eter- 
nal City"  endeavoring  to  make  the  wisest  choice,  among 
various  perplexing  propositions,  of  a  suitable  site  for 
headquarters. 

Though  only  slightly  acquainted,  at  that  early  day, 
with  llie  intricate  map  of  old  Rome,  Mr.  Stokes  showed 
at  once  a  remarkable  instinct  and  foresight  in  fixing 
upon  a  most  valuable  site.  Having  discarded  the  en- 
tire list  of  offers  prepared  for  him,  he  promptly  se- 
lected, of  his  own  accord,  a  very  unattractive  looking 
house  on  the  slope  of  the  Qnirinal  Hill,  facing  on  a  mod- 
est side  street,  which  had  entirely  escaped  our  atten- 
tion. He  saw  there  what  others  could  not  see,  a  stra- 
tegic site  with  all  its  possibilities,  which,  if  incorporated 
with  a  smaller  building  in  front,  would  command  an 
entire  block  on  Rome's  main  thoroughfare,  undoubt- 
edl3%  even  today,  the  one  and  only  j)osition  in  Home  suit- 
able for  the  erection  of  a  modern  Association  building. 
To  those  wdio  opposed  the  idea  of  a  modest  beginning 
in  a  quiet  street,  he  invariably  replied,  "Rome  was  not 
built  in  a  day ;  work  on,  prove  your  need  for  a  larger 
house  by  filling  the  old  one." 

Mr.  Stokes  gave  still  further  proof  of  exceptional 
prudence  and  foresight  in  immediatelj'  placing  the 
newly  bought  i)roperty  under  tlie  protection  of  the 
International  Comniittee,  for  which,  with  characteristic 
patience  and  perseverance,  through  endless  red  tape 
formalities,  he  finally  obtained  legal  recognition  as  a 


ITALY'S  CALL  ANSWERED  103 

('orj)oration,  willi  full  power,  under  llie  Italian  law,  to 
purchase  and  hold  real  estate.  navin<;  thus  i)rovi(led 
for  the  stability  and  continuity  of  the  work,  Mr.  Stokes 
turned  his  attention  to  the  details  of  its  organization 
and  development. 

The  newly  purchased  property  could  not  be  put  to 
use  without  extensive  renovation  and  repair.  Walls 
had  to  be  knocked  out,  doors  cut  through,  courtyards 
roofed  over,  drainage  improved,  and  modern  equipment 
installed  in  the  gymnasium,  reading  rooms,  and  so  on. 
The  measurements,  plans,  and  detailed  instructions  to 
the  Italian  workmen  covered  endless  pages  and  in- 
volved months  of  careful  thought  and  painstaking  labor. 
It  was  my  privilege  to  help  Mr.  Stokes  in  all  of  this 
l)reparatory  work,  covering  a  period  of  several  months. 
The  cooperation  during  this  period  of  our  associate 
and  fellow-Director,  Mr.  W^alling  Clark,  was  particu- 
larly, effective  and  deeply  appreciated. 

In  the  autumn  of  1897,  a  large  number  of  Rome's 
prominent  citizens  gathered,  by  invitation,  in  the  newly 
finished  gymnasium,  to  greet  Mr.  Stokes  as  the  founder 
of  the  first  Italian  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
The  red,  white,  and  green  of  Italy's  national  flag,  to- 
gether with  the  municipal  colors  of  Rome,  were  closely 
entwined  with  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  forming  not  only 
a  tasteful  decoration  but  an  appropriate  welcome  to  the 
Italian  officials  who  were  present,  among  whom  came  a 
special  representative  of  the  King  of  Italy,  another  sent 
by  the  Mayor  of  Rome,  and  several  from  the  different 
embassies. 

Unusual  interest  was  awakened  in  various  quarters 
by  this  public  inauguration  and  many  prominent  Ital- 
ians applied  for  membershii^  who  doubtless  would  never 
have  been  reached  in  the  ordinary  numner.    The  King 


104  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

also  manifested  a  desire  to  learn  more  about  the  Italian 
branch  of  an  organization  which  he  knew  had  been  ac- 
complish in  <i^  so  ninch  good  in  other  countries,  and,  ac- 
cordingly, extended  an  invitation  to  Mr,  Stokes  for  a 
private  audience  at  the  Quirinal  Palace.  The  meeting 
was  a  cordial  one,  Victor  Emmanuel  liaving  already 
heard  of  Mr.  Stokes's  successful  Avork  in  France  and 
Russia  and  of  his  increasing  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  Italy. 

From  Mr.  Stokes  himself  we  heard  little  of  his  inter- 
view at  the  Royal  Palace  nor  do  I  recall  that  he  ever 
mentioned  the  fact,  which  we  afterwards  learned  with 
pleasure  and  satisfaction,  that  the  King,  on  that  occa- 
sion, had  conferred  upon  him  an  exceptional  mark  of 
his  esteem  by  making  him  a  member  of  the  Italian 
Legion  of  Honor. 

Shortly  before,  a  similar  distinction  had  been  con- 
ferred ui)on  him  by  the  President  of  the  French  Repub- 
lic, but  the  inborn  modesty  which  characterized  all  of 
Mr.  Stokes's  life  and  actions  deterred  his  friends  from 
publishing  these  events  abroad.  They  knew  that  his 
endeavors  were  animated  solely  by  a  deep-rooted  sense 
of  duty  and  that  any  attempt  to  draw  public  attention 
to  them  would  have  met  with  his  unfailing  disapproval. 
The  records,  therefore,  of  his  life  service  are  inscribed 
not  in  marble  hallways,  but  simply  and  humbly  in  the 
hearts  of  all  those  who  loved  him. 

Through  long  years  he  held  on  with  quiet  perse- 
verance to  his  chosen  way  of  helpfulness,  never  failing 
to  lend  a  willing  hand  or  bestow  a  sympathetic  word  of 
encouragement  wherever  needed.  Nor  did  he  ever  fail 
to  meet  with  steadfast  devotion  and  regularity  the 
many  obligations  he  had  voluntarily  assumed  toward 
the  support  of  the  various  activities  with  which  he  had 


ITxVLYV^  CALL  ANSWERED  105 

identified  binisell",  both  in  ]Ourope  and  America.  In 
fact,  few  aronnd  him  realized  the  extent  of  his  constant 
personal  interest  in  these  undertakings,  or  the  warm 
place  he  kept  in  his  great  sympathetic  heart  for  his 
trusted  friends  and  co-workers  in  the  field.  His  let- 
ters, though  abounding  in  suggestions  and  advice  on 
practical  matters  relating  to  the  progress  of  the  work, 
rarely,  if  ever,  closed  without  some  expression  of  af- 
fectionate regard  for  the  recipient. 

'*!  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  you,"  he  wrote  in  June 
of  1008  to  the  General  Secretary  at  Rome,  Paolo  Cois- 
son,  "and  to  receive  the  report  of  the  month  of  April. 
I  have  read  with  interest  your  explanation  of  the  report 
and  wish  you  every  success  in  the  work  you  are  doing 
in  Rome.  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  at  any  time 
and  be  kept  in  constant  touch  with  the  work  as  car- 
ried on  by  yourself." 

And  again  in  January,  1914,  he  wrote:  "Even  if  I  am 
not  able  to  answer  your  letters  promptly,  I  like  to  hear 
from  you  and  always  have  an  affectionate  regard  for 
you  and  the  good  work  you  are  doing.  Let  me  know 
of  your  joys  and  discouragements  and  what  the  pros- 
pects are  for  the  future." 

And  later,  in  November,  1915 :  "I  have  your  good  let- 
ter of  September  30th  and  am  sending  a  copy  to  Dr. 
Mott.  .  .  .  Remember,  we  all  sympathize  with  you  and 
carry  you  in  our  hearts." 

In  recent  j^ears  his  failing  health,  due  no  doubt  to 
overwork  and  anxiety  for  the  young  men  of  the  world, 
prevented  Mr.  Stokes  from  traveling  abroad,  but  up  to 
the  last  moment  he  kept  in  constant  touch  with  the 
well  chosen  friends  whom  he  trusted  to  succeed  him  in 
the  continuation  and  completion  of  his  life  work. 

The  last  occasion  upon  which  the  young  men  of  Italy 


106  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

had  the  pleasure  of  welcoming  their  geuerons  friend 
and  benefactor,  was  in  A2)ril,  1909,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stokes,  accompanied  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John  R.  Mott, 
visited  the  Rome  Association  and  were  received  by  a 
wide  representation  of  its  members  and  adherents,  who 
gathered  in  the  same  hall  which  Mr.  Stokes  had  inau- 
gnrated  twelve  years  before.  The  hearty  testimonials 
of  appreciation  he  received  on  that  occasion  in  the  ex- 
pressive Italian  tongne,  from  all  classes — students,  sol- 
diers, professional  and  business  men — whom  he  had  ben- 
efited for  so  many  years,  must  have  brought,  with  the 
realization  of  his  hopes,  a  sense  of  very  deep  satisfac- 
tion. To  see  lecture  courses,  classrooms,  and  gym- 
nasium filled  with  man}-  active  y(»ung  Romans,  eager 
to  make  every  use  of  the  advantages  he  had  helped  to 
devise  and  establish  for  them,  must  have  inspired  him 
with  a  feeling  of  successful  achievement. 

And  toward  the  close  of  a  long,  brave  life  spent  al- 
most entirely  for  others,  it  must  have  been  of  still 
greater  comfort  to  him  to  know  that,  throughout  the 
World  War,  beneath  the  roof  he  had  built,  thousands  of 
young  Italian  soldiers  gathered  to  find,  not  only  sym- 
pathy and  cheer,  but  daily  strength  and  courage  with 
which  to  face  overwhelming  defeat  and  renewed  strug- 
gles before  final  victory.  Thus,  in  war  as  in  peace,  the 
Rome  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  continued  to 
serve  loyally,  valiantly,  large-heartedly,  and  to  honor 
the  memory  of  its  founder  by  seeking  to  emulate  in 
some  degree  all  that  it  valued  in  his  noble,  unselfish 
life. 


IX 
BREAKING   INTO  RUSSIA 

Fr^^nklin  a.  Gaylord 

The  idea  of  foimdiug  a  Christian  organization  of 
joiing  men  in  Russia  was  long  though  secretly  cher- 
ished by  Mr.  Stokos.  But  the  Empire  of  the  Czar  was 
forbidden  ground  to  any  democratic  Protestant  organ- 
ization. To  gain  an  entrance  into  that  autocratic, 
bureaucratic  empire  seemed  as  impossible  as  to  storm 
Gibraltar  with  a  force  of  fishing  boats  armed  with  bean 
shooters.  But  faith  and  love  and  persistence  found  a 
way.  Mr.  Stokes  had  learned  to  wait  and  pray  with 
his  eyes  open.  He  believed  that  God  would  open  a  way, 
and  watched  for  the  opening.  He  found  it  in  an  unex- 
pected manner.  The  route  lay  through  France,  through 
a  chance  acquaintance  with  a  nephew  of  the  then  Min- 
ister of  the  Court,  Baron  Vladimir  Fredericks,  who 
happened  to  be  i)resent  at  a  gymnastic  exhibition  given 
in  the  Paris  Association  when  Mr.  Stokes  was  there. 

The  young  man  was  greatly  impressed  by  the  work 
being  done  for  young  Frenchmen  and  exclaimed,  "What 
a  great  thing  it  would  be  if  a  work  of  like  character 
could  be  started  in  Petrograd  for  Russian  young  men !" 
Mr.  Stokes  thereupon  replied,  "If  I  could  be  properly 
introduced  in  Russia,  I  should  be  glad  to  do  all  in  my 
power  to  establish  such  a  branch  of  the  work." 

This  conversation  occurred  in  1898,  and,  while  still 
in  Paris,  Mr.  Stokes  received  information  which  led  him 

107 


108  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

to  believe  that  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  present 
his  idea  in  Fetroj^rad  to  the  Empress  in  jjcrson.  He 
would  begin  at  the  royal  palace.  Shortly  thereafter  Mr. 
Stokes  set  ont  for  Petrograd  assuredly  believing  that 
God  had  set  before  him  "an  open  door"  and  that  no  man 
could  shut  it. 

Almost  the  first  persons  with  whom  he  established 
relations,  after  landing  in  the  city,  were  Alexander 
Francis,  a  Scotch  Congregational  minister,  then  pastor 
of  the  British-American  C^hurch  in  Petrograd,  and  Mr. 
William  Smith,  representative  of  an  xVmerican  firm  - 
doing  business  in  Petrograd,  and  at  that  time  the  lead- 
ing American  in  the  city.  Pastor  Francis  was  a  man  of 
keen  intellectuality  and  with  the  capabilities  of  a 
first  class  diplomat.  Surely  strategy  was  required  in 
his  delicate  and  determined  siege  of  the  "impregnable 
citadel"  of  closed  and  barred  Kussia.  Through  his 
efforts  in  locating  English  governesses  in  the  homes  of 
wealthy  Russian  families,  he  became  a  friend  of  many 
of  the  leading  Russians  and  likewise  widely  influential 
in  Russian  society'.  He  had  become  acquainted,  among 
others,  with  Baron  Fredericks,  Minister  of  the  Imperial 
Court.  Pastor  Francis  introduced  Mr.  Stokes  to  the 
Baron,  who  was  so  impressed  with  the  value  of  the  new 
society  that  he  said  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
securing  an  interview  with  the  Empress.  Through  him, 
therefore,  a  presentation  was  arranged.  Her  Majesty 
considered  the  idea  of  Mr.  Stokes  of  very  great  value, 
and  said  that  she  would  be  glad  to  have  his  representa- 
tive come  and  make  a  study  of  the  various  organized 
charities  under  her  personal  care  and  patronage,  with 
the  thought  of  securing  data  that  might  be  of  value  in 
the  organization  of  the  young  men's  society. 

DurinK  this  visit  Mr.   Stokes  met  neither  the  Em- 


BREAKIXd    INTO   lU'SSlA  100 

poror  nor  the  rriiice  of  Oldenburg,  who  hiter  became 
the  i)alrou  of  the  society'  autl  its  champion  at  court. 

Keturning'  to  New  York  after  having  made  a  donation 
of  |2,()00  to  the  lOmpress's  charities,  Mr.  Stokes  sent 
Miss  Reynolds  as  his  rei)resentative  to  meet  the  Em- 
press and  to  study  the  various  charitable  institutions 
under  her  protection.  After  a  brief  visit  to  Petrograd, 
she  returned  to  America  and  made  a  report  to  Mr. 
Stokes.  Iler  visit,  however,  important  as  it  was, 
was  quite  incidental  to  the  project  for  a  society  for 
young  men. 

A  new  friend  of  the  Association  appeared  in  the 
person  of  Prince  Hilkotl,  Russian  Minister  of  Ways  of 
Communication.  While  a  young  man,  he  had  been  sent 
to  the  Ignited  States  to  study  American  railway  sys- 
tenjs,  and  in  order  to  do  this  thoroughly  had  started  in 
as  a  common  workman.  He  spent  many  years  in 
working  up  through  the  various  departments,  and  be- 
came thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  American  railway 
administration.  Peturning  to  Russia,  he  received  from 
the  Czar  his  appointment  as  head  of  the  Russian  rail- 
way system. 

His  attention  was  directed  by  Mr.  Stokes  to  the  work 
of  the  Railroad  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
then  in  its  infancy.  As  a  result  of  his  visit  to  America 
it  Avas  decided,  in  1809,  at  Mr.  Stokes's  urgent  sugges- 
tion, that  Clarence  J.  Hicks,  railroad  secretary  of  the 
International  Committee  of  the  Y'oung  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  should  be  sent  to  Russia  to  learn 
what  was  being  done  for  railway  emjiloyes,  and  to  dis- 
cover if  the  work  in  America  could  make  any  contribu- 
tion to  what  had  already  been  accomplished  in  Russia. 
The  principle  and  procedure  of  Mr.  Stokes,  persistently 
followed,  were  to  secure  the  services  of  the  most  experi- 


110  JAMES  stokp:s— pionei:r 

encod  man  in  Associalifni  organization  to  project  and 
pioneer  any  great  enterprise;  lienre  the  selection  of 
Mr.  nicks  for  this  mission. 

After  Mr.  Stokes's  return  to  America  from  his  first 
visit  to  I*etrogra(l,  he  kei)t  in  constant  communication 
with  Pastor  Francis  and  Mr.  Smith.  As  Mr.  Hicks 
was  coming  to  Knssia  for  railroad  work,  he  urged  him 
also  to  see  what  he  could  do  to  further  city  work  for 
young  men.  Hence,  upon  his  arrival  in  Petrograd,  Mr. 
nicks  was  immediately  introduced  to  Prince  Hilkoff, 
Pastor  Francis,  and  Mr.  Smith.  It  is  probable  that 
during  these  conversations,  the  idea  of  submitting  the 
project  to  the  Prince  of  Oldenburg  must  have  arisen. 

It  was  in  1899  that  this  distinguished  nobleman 
abandoned  his  military  career,  which  had  been  both 
successful  and  honorable,  and  turned  his  attention  to 
works  of  philanthrop3'.  He  was  a  leader  in  the  work  of 
the  Temperance  (^ommittee,  an  organization  working 
throughout  the  Russian  Emi)ire,  and  having  the  hearty 
support  of  Count  Witte,  at  that  time  Russian  Minister 
of  Finance.  The  Committee  built  or  opened  houses  in 
different  parts  of  the  Empire  where  the  people  could 
secure  cheap  food  and  amusement  without  the  use  of 
vodka. 

Through  Baron  Fredericks  or  Pastor  Francis  an  in- 
terview with  Prince  Oldenburg  was  arranged  for  Mr. 
Hicks,  From  the  first  the  Prince  was  favorably  im- 
pressed and  asked  Mr,  Hicks  to  address  the  Temper- 
ance Committee  in  Petrograd.  As  chairman  of  this 
committee,  the  I'rince  had  as  his  helpers  a  large  and 
influential  group  of  business  men  and  officials. 

This  committee  met  at  the  Prince's  palace.  Mr. 
Hicks's  address  on  the  work  of  the  Association  in  Amer- 
ica produced  a  marked  impression,  and  from  this  group 


bki:akin(}  into  iuj^^sia  in 

of  men  two  or  throe  were  eliosen  later  as  members  of 
the  Council  of  the  future  society,  "Mayak." 

The  Prince  agreed  to  take  the  movement  under  his 
protection  and  word  was  sent  to  Mr.  Stokes,  who  had 
been  in  telegraphic  communication  with  Mr.  Hicks. 
Mr.  Stokes  and  Mr.  Morse  immediately  went  over  the 
situation  with  Mr.  Gaylord  who  agreed  to  go  to  Russia 
as  Mr.  Stokes's  representative. 

The  underlying  motive  of  the  work  being  religious, 
the  Prince  thought  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  put 
the  Society  under  the  protection  of  the  Holy  Synod. 
However,  when  the  matter  was  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  Procurator,  at  that  time  Constantine  Pobiedonos- 
tseff,  he  feared  the  proposed  society  as  Protestant,  and 
refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  The  Prince 
then  changed  his  i)lan  and  the  organization  was  put 
under  the  protection  of  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  and 
the  special  department  of  that  Ministry,  under  the  con- 
trol of  which  the  society  was  placed,  was  the  Police 
Department.  The  man  who  later  became  first  president 
of  the  society  had  been  the  Assistant  Chief  of  Police  in 
Petrograd. 

On  December  81,  1899,  Mr.  Gaylord  received  a  com- 
munication saying  that  the  draft  of  the  constitution  of 
the  new  society  had  been  submitted  for  approval  to  the 
Minister  of  the  Interior.  March  2,  1900,  Mr.  Zvolian- 
sky,  Director  of  the  Department  of  Police,  called  Pastor 
Francis,  Mr.  Smith,  and  Mr.  Gaylord  for  an  interview 
with  regard  to  the  temporary  statutes  of  the  society 
and  the  project  was  ajjproved  by  the  Ministry. 

The  next  step  was  to  obtain  rooms  in  which  the  soci- 
ety  might  be  launched.  Mr.  Stokes  had  already  guar- 
anteed 0,000  rubles,  the  Russians  gave  liberally,  and  it 
was  felt  that  so  large  a  membership  might  be  readily 


112  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

secured  tliat  the  fiiiaiuial  question  would  readily  be 
solved.  Koouis  were  rented  lor  five  years  at  3,500 
rubles  a  year.  Fear  had  been  expressed  that  there 
might  not  be  more  than  sixty  members  the  first  year. 
Some  Russian  friends  thought  that  the  young  men  who 
came  might  not  understand  the  purpose  of  the  society 
and  would  not  be  satisfied  unless  drinking  and  card 
playing  were  permitted.  But  little  trouble  was  experi- 
enced in  maintaining  Association  standards.  The 
young  men  showed  respect  for  the  aims  of  the  society 
and  the  question  of  discipline  mainly  solved  itself. 

On  the  afternoon  of  October  4,  1900,  the  official  open- 
ing of  the  society  took  place.  At  that  hour  few  young 
men  could  be  present  and  the  audience  was  made  up 
largely  of  the  otHcial  class.  A  secretary  of  the  Empress 
brought  the  greetings  of  Her  Imperial  Majesty.  Mr. 
Stokes  came  especially  from  New  York  for  the  occasion. 
The  Prince  of  Oldenburg  and  the  entire  Russian  Coun- 
cil were  i)resent,  as  well  as  the  representatives  of  the 
American  Embassy.  The  address  delivered  by  Mr. 
Stokes  received  marked  attention  from  the  Russian 
press.  Indeed,  the  publicity  given  by  the  Petrograd 
newspapers  was  a  constant  great  help  in  securing  a 
membership  for  the  society,  in  addition  to  the  fact  that 
it  was  fundamentally  adapted  to  meet  the  needs  of 
young  men.  The  work  started  with  tremendous  enthu- 
siasm, and  by  the  end  of  the  first  year,  the  membership 
had  grown  to  over  1,000. 

The  program  of  work  was  at  first  very  modest.  The 
society  adopted  the  princijjle  of  taking  on  new  activities 
and  adopting  new  methods  as  soon  and  as  fast  as  real 
needs  were  discovered.  The  classes  in  German  and  in 
French  were,  in  the  beginning,  very  large,  and  two 
classes  in  bookkeeping  enrolled  125  men.     Classes  in 


nniiAKisa  into  kuskia  ii3 

IOn;^liHlj  ;iii(l  Kiissi;iii,  Iccdiir-s,  wn  orchestra,  a  religiouK 
choir,  ;ui<i  arithnifitic,  and  typfiwritirig  cJas.sf^,  w<ire 
added  in  later  years. 

A  priest  of  the  Orthodox  Chnreli,  selected  because  of 
his  hroadniin(]edness  and  the  attractiveness  of  his  per- 
sonality to  young  men,  was  always  invited  to  give  a 
religious  talk  to  the  nieniljers  on  Kunday  evening.  Oym- 
nastic  classes  were  held  in  the  Anne  school.  Hummer 
excursions  to  points  of  interest  near  J'etrograd  were 
organized.  In  liiOl  lectures  were  begun,  to  which  the 
young  njen  came  in  crowds,  and  which  exerted  a  very 
great  influence.  One  of  the  strong  leaders  in  this  work 
was  Gregory  I'etroff,  a  devoted  and  nobleminded  priest. 
Another  was  Dinjitry  Loevshine,  a  lecturer  on  histor-y. 
Yet  another  was  Victor  Petrovich  Proleikinsky.  It  was 
the  priest  Gregory  Petroff  who,  for  the  first  time,  called 
the  society  ''Mayak"  or  Lighthouse,  a  name  by  which  it 
became  generally  known. 

At  one  time  a  serious  difliculty  was  created  by  the 
lecturers  of  the  Mayak,  because  they  assumed  to  be  in- 
dependent of  the  authority  of  the  directing  committee. 
This  disposition  of  mind  was  greatly  stimulated  by  the 
growing  resistan<e  to  all  authority  which  manifested! 
itself  in  Russia  in  those  years  i^receding  the  revolution 
of  lOO.j.  P'inally  the  distinguished  Russian  historian,  F. 
S.  IMatonoff  of  Petrograd  University,  took  the  matter  in 
hand, and  fromthat  time  on  therewas  nodifTiculty.  These 
lectures  took  place  four  times  a  week  and,  year  after 
year,  continued  to  be  well  attended.  A  great  variety 
of  subjects  was  treated,  but  the  history  and  literature 
of  England  and  France  were  most  interesting  to  Rus- 
sian young  men.  Then  came  lectures  on  chemistry, 
anatomy,  geography,  astronomy,  and  physics.  These 
lectures  were  supplemented  by  educational  summer  ex- 


114  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

cnrsions  and  visits  to  the  museiiras  iu  Petrograd.  Vari- 
ous picture  galleries  were  also  visited. 

The  Mayak  alwaj^s  depended  nnidi  upon  selected 
priests  of  the  Orthodox  Church  for  aid  in  its  religious 
work.  In  the  early  days  of  the  society's  existence, 
Gregory  I'etroflf,  the  priest  already  referred  to,  exer- 
cised a  remarkable  influence.  Whenever  he  spoke,  the 
auditorium  was  crowded  and  his  books  were  sold  by 
the  hundred.  Another  popular  speaker  was  Father 
John  Slobodskoy,  of  the  Orthodox  Church,  who  became 
a  member  of  the  Council.  Bis  talks  to  the  young  men 
were  inspired  with  a  true  Christian  spirit.  As  an  or- 
ganization, the  Maj'ak  was  careful  to  observe  the  chief 
church  holidays,  and  on  these  occasions  a  sympathetic 
priest  of  the  Orthodox  Church  always  officiated,  thus 
maintaining  a  close  relationship  with  the  mother 
church  of  Russia. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  solicitous  from  the  very  first  that 
the  society  should  i)reserve  its  Russian  character,  and 
this  desire  was  constantly  kept  in  view.  Its  develop- 
ment was  determined  by  the  wishes  and  the  character 
of  the  young  men  tliemselves.  The  program  in  each 
country  occupietl  did  no  violence  to  "the  mind  of  the 
people."    It  was  not  an  imposed  foreign  institution. 

The  love  of  the  Russian  for  music,  both  sacred  and 
secular,  instrumental  as  well  as  vocal,  brought  about  the 
creation  of  a  department  especially  devoted  to  this  serv- 
ice. A  beginning  was  made  by  setting  apart  every  Sun- 
day evening  a  special  hour  for  singing  the  hymns  of 
the  church  under  the  direction  of  a  priest.  Then  a 
choir  was  organized  that  sang  only  the  wonderful  Rus- 
sian religious  music,  and  helped  greatly  at  the  time 
of  the  religious  meetings  of  the  Mayak.  Soon  another 
choir  was  formed  which  rendered  only  secular  music. 


7;    ;5  o 


-   -   2 


BREAKING   INTO  RUSSIA  115 

Later,  these  two  were  conibiiUMl  and  became  a  very 
special  feature  of  the  musical  eveninj^s  of  the  societ}-. 
Still  later,  special  lessous  in  solo  singing  were  given, 
in  order  to  prepare  young  men  for  the  choir  and  to  aid 
others  who  wished  to  prepare  themselves  as  musical 
artists. 

In  the  early  days,  instruction  was  given  on  the  violin 
and  other  musical  instruments,  and  this  led  to  the  for- 
mation of  an  orchestra  which  passed  through  many 
changes  until  it  became  a  body  of  well  trained  musi- 
cians, capable  of  playing  symphonic  music  and  giving 
two  excellent  concerts  each  year.  From  the  early  days 
of  the  society  it  was  possible  to  enlist  the  services  of 
the  singers  and  musicians  of  the  city  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  concerts,  and,  finally,  many  of  the  artists  of  the 
imi^erial  theaters  came  quite  free  of  charge.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  societj'  thus  had  the  opportunity  of  hearing 
without  expense  some  of  the  best  music  in  Petrograd, 
and  often  the  concert  hall  was  packed  to  overflowing. 

Following  the  x)lan  of  Association  work  indicated  by 
Mr.  Stokes,  much  was  done  for  young  men  in  the  eve- 
ning classes  in  the  way  of  instruction.  As  the  years 
passed,  they  were  attended  bj^  thousands  of  members. 
Many  who  were  employed  in  business  houses  demanded 
instruction  in  German,  and,  just  before  the  Great  War, 
there  were  more  than  two  hundred  enrolled  in  this 
study  alone. 

In  accordance  also  with  Association  principles,  the 
Council  of  the  Mayak  from  the  first  made  the  physical 
development  of  the  young  men  one  of  the  chief  points  of 
its  program.  As  early  as  1900  Mr.  Gaylord  entered 
into  relations  with  the  director  of  a  German  school  in 
Petrograd,  and  secured  iiermissiou  for  the  Mayak  mem- 
bers to  use  its  well-equipped  gymnasium  until   1908, 


nr>  JAMEB  STOKES— PIONEER 

wlien,  thanks  again  to  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Stokes,  an 
excellent  gymnastic  hall  was  built  for  the  Mayak  and 
equipped  by  a  wealthy  Russian,  Mr.  Emanuel  Nobel, 
nei)hew  of  the  founder  of  the  Nobel  prize. 

At  this  time  there  came  from  America  a  physical 
director,  Eric  Moraller,  who  had  studied  both  to  make 
himself  an  instructor  in  physical  education  and  an 
Association  secretary.  It  was  with  his  valuable  assist- 
ance and  under  the  supervision  of  Count  Suzor,  an  ex- 
perienced architect,  that  a  gynuiasiuni  was  erected  in 
the  courtyard  of  the  Association  building.  The  Mayak 
gymnasium  thus  became  the  best  equipi)ed  gymnasium 
in  Russia,  arid  Moraller  was  certainly  the  best  all-round 
physical  director  in  the  Empire.  He  iusi)ired  his  pupils 
with  enthusiasm  and  the  work  of  the  Physical  Depart- 
ment enjoyed  great  popularity,  enrolling  an  average  of 
600  men  annually. 

The  gymnasium  program  was  supplemented  in  many 
ways.  Excursions  were  organized  to  points  of  inter- 
est in  the  neighborliood  of  l*etrograd,  such  as  Tsarskoe 
Celo,  Peterhoflf,  and  Gatchina.  Viborg,  in  Finland,  be- 
came a  great  favorite,  and  old  Novgorod,  and,  some- 
times, Moscow  were  visited.  While  most  points  were 
reached  by  rail,  much  walking  was  also  done.  Where 
suitable  places  could  be  found,  there  were  generally 
sports  and  games  in  the  open  air.  The  young  men  fre- 
quently sang  on  these  excursions,  and  were  sometimes 
accompanied  by  a  small  band  of  musicians  chosen  from 
the  members.  The  behavior  of  the  young  men  on  these 
occasions  was  so  exemplary  that  it  constituted  an  ex- 
cellent propaganda  for  the  Mayak. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  an  athletic  field  was  a 
necessity,  and  negotiations  were  begun  with  Prince 
Beloselsky,  with  this  end  in  view.     He  owned  much 


BREAKING   INTO  KUSSIA  117 

land  on  Chrestollsky  Island  and  was  finally  induced  to 
rent  to  the  M;iyak  a  field  for  this  purpose.  The  young 
men  themselves  vigorously  c'Ooi)erated  in  fitting  out  the 
field,  which  was  inaugurated  with  religious  ceremo- 
nies, and  became  a  center  of  great  interest.  The 
Association  first  introduced  basket  ball  into  Kussia, 
and  it  was  exceedingly  popular  from  the  beginning. 
Cross  country  runs  were  undertaken  and  created  much 
enthusiasm. 

The  physical  department  also  opened  a  camp  on  the 
shore  of  the  G-ulf  of  Finland,  where  the  I'etrograd 
young  men  enjoyed  immensely  the  fresh  sea  air,  which 
was  in  gre;!t  contrast  with  the  heavy  murky  atmosphere 
of  Petrograd. 

This  letter,  sent  to  Mr.  Stokes  by  Eric  Moraller  in 
1906,  gives  a  picture  of  the  spirit  that  dominated  the 
Mayak.  Under  the  conditions  of  strict  espionage  tlien 
existing  in  Russia,  this  one  sjjot  of  brightness  and  free- 
dom shone  out. 

''One  of  the  things  that  impressed  me  the  most  at  the 
Association  was  the  spirit  of  free<lom  and  congeniality 
that  exists  among  the  members.  A  few  instances  will 
set  forth  this  idea. 

"Last  evening  while  a  lecture  was  being  held  in  the 
large  hall  and  all  the  evening  classes  were  in  session, 
and  the  reading  room  was  also  well  filled,  there  was  a 
group  of  men  in  the  butl'et  that  were  interested  in  other 
amusements.  These  young  men  conducted  an  im- 
promptu drawing  room  concert,  each  man  taking  his 
part  in  turn.  The  feeling  that  the  'Mayak'  is  their 
home  prompts  this  freedom. 

"While  I  was  attending  one  of  the  weekly  concerts 
and  occui)ying  a  seat  in  the  rear,  a  young  man,  instead 
of  listening  to  the  musical  program,  spent  his  time  in 
reading  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  This,  too,  indicates 
that  the  young  men  do  not  come  to  the  Association  only 


118  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

for  tlie  material  benefits  tlu^y  receive,  but  also  for  the 
spiritual  uplift  that  accompanies  it.  To  use  our  secre- 
tary's pliraseology,  'the  amusements  as  well  as  the  men 
must  be  won  for  Christ.' 

"The  work  in  Petersburg  is  truly  the  most  all-round 
work  I  have  ever  seen.  The  unconscious  wholesome 
influence  which  constantly  pervades  the  Association 
cannot  but  help  to  bring  joy  and  happiness  to  the  mem- 
bers. It  is  this  spirit  that  the  Association  has  been 
working  for,  and  God  has  blessed  it  abundantly.  Per- 
mit me  also  to  say  this,  Mr.  Stokes:  In  conversation 
when  your  name  is  mentioned  the  faces  of  the  mem- 
bers brighten  and  say,  'Yes,  lie  has  made  this  work 
possible.' " 

Reference  has  already  been  nuide  to  the  coming  to 
Russia  of  Mr.  Stokes  in  1898,  at  which  time  he  was 
introduced  to  the  Empress,  and  to  his  visit  in  October 
of  1900,  when  the  Association  was  inaugurated.  In 
1905,  before  the  society  had  moved  from  its  original 
rooms  on  the  Liteiny  Prospect,  he  came  with  Mrs. 
Stokes,  shortly  after  their  marriage.  Then  he  looked 
over  a  building  at  85  Nadjezhdinskaya  St.,  which  he 
had  in  view  as  the  society's  future  home. 

The  purchase  was  made  for  118,500  rubles.  Young 
men  never  forgot  a  visit  made  one  evening  quite  infor- 
mally by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes,  on  which  occasion  songs 
were  sung,  and  the  accompaniments  i)layod  by  the  lat- 
ter. The  enthusiasm  of  the  young  men  was  boundless, 
and  when  the  little  concert  was  over,  they  followed  their 
carriage  for  a  long  distance. 

Two  years  after  this,  the  growth  of  the  work  and  of 
imperial  interest  in  it  were  signalized  by  an  informal 
colloquial  audience  accorded  in  the  palace  at  Peterhof 
by  the  Czar  to  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Interna- 
tional Committee,  Mr.  Richard  C.  Morse,  accompanied 


i.mTfjWY^r'tTiAiii'k  -AUAK1--  n 

lll«<(T.<(JT'»  «r^*m.>'ll.  lillX^t  II* 

.\\M  Ten  nyTt.ia  kotstummu mtv- 
nA(n».n.iiMiiA*<iioi»imn;iik-r..'vi 

^•,'.  lU'MA;  nf^liir.'  lit  pHiiii  :s-(iA 
^\A  "ouni-^HArj.^AlCTft'.IIIMrj  Miiit 
jH'KCKAn  WV^MITI*  SUA^V,U1(«  .IK 
,\,(H.»M-l,niltTM'l(AH  llAIU(f*",«,V- 
^tKA'irCAY  IHAH  B3£^t«mtflt(Tli  lltAi 
^1l%AT».l*  Kr't:A\t1  T^i.MM  PAAraMHil 
Alb'tlECKiri  KyAli'r\|7U.KIT<f u«  nKK 

^(>UAH  iiurt  iinTM  ri(,\.'fTyniiij- 

4gi  A.vr!,\A(IABX«"ll,TUU'IAMA(J 

'^'.^'pfrtKiiY*  aiia:,\iH"!,  An^iM. 

HiTSAliKi  lllH'tinAH,'niTAKI4I.M6.' 
KAKl  ^MHCThO.SMf'nSO  M  plllTIAH 

'/  (KAAAHciHi. Id i,Mi:i\iKA\y-ii( ir^-c'ru» 

S^BYKH.IIO  II  HAV  lltMIU  l^inllTt  6<M 
(IIAYII^'%.IIG9H(  Ufrtll  AtU  lie  IIOMH 

AVWk.'ir;  uv^V>»-"»  S.V"i-..ii'*,V-« 

KIIIII,KA\AA><I<  bM,'(yW,\Jll  ftAAVl 
<T?AH't,(IUf)''At\AKVhU  IVKIIH^ITU- 
HAAmb  IKKAIjllin'iAblU  AIIIUli  i1~ilA\ll 

iHiTawif  H  Hki»Kn,Hii  iiib'Yrtt,vtiM.wii 

I^QiAAA  null*  \-«TA  lH^'illllK^V- 

S^lua.\;^iiTk  iiA«»,ryV,*fA»c*  crsKci. 
iiAUiy((f>f^('iiiyf  n^MniATTAhHicrkyucn 
^i«yA\im,^\,flK:;i  ftl'iiiJC^'iTi  ftmiactAAn 

»*  lUCA  16JH,1V/.  -AUAIO.WI'AIU  ll>:illAVt 

hit^n'mifik  iiA  nAAVATlilii.uiH  t<irc/i, 

lAlUHIAtVi  -A,V,:(THJA»1|\.\>*  HAL%,yM'A  i'itVK 
AA<ltVk,><.T:piilAt'h.lia^fBIIIAtyiU|;yiHII.'U 
HAM,; yuKU  Al^l  MIi;!^  1i  'KCrUIUUII  ll<UI\\ 
jlt,\Kll\-'l.ll^i^i|-MY*  ricidi-  V.  J,'  lt'.  Vl' 

■Tit''"  "      V'"""  "ij"'»f''«'l,'i'i»  yiu'ri, 

>*'(  iK?C.«llMMAA;<H'(.-AlllUI.BA'k,l,li;» 

iTJA^UM.  Tiy.*  ■.ymTI.'kA.ilift Al,!,. 

KAI'd  H'h  OAilrh  Yb.U«<IIIA,Ka■i'd>MAIIIIIllla.V 
HAU<'lU^\HA.-ll  ii.niAiy  mi  ii.-.ikai-Ii  «.«■(.  »*• 
ki'ri-ii(,i,jiai'»nijj^t«K'k,A  iiHrA AMKihi." 


.-*-. 


T^-.**^".--^ 


-"'^f ^--^^  '^'"C  f-i?^ 


\ 


The  MAyyfK's  Members'  Supehhly  Ilh-mixated  Testimonial  to  Mu.  Stokes, 
Nine  Feet  Long,  Beakino  IMoke  Than  500  Sicnatukes 


BKI'LVKING   INTO  RUSSIA  111) 

by  the  prcsiMenl  aiul  {j;oneral  secretary  of  the  Mayak. 
Tlie  interview  had  been  requested  for  Mr.  Morse  on  his 
way  home  from  Tokyo,  over  the  Siberian  Kailvvay.  To 
facilitate  his  coming  he  received  the  grant  of  an  impe- 
rial pass  over  that  road.  This  favorable  attitude  to- 
ward the  granting  of  an  interview  was  traceable  to  the 
influence  of  the  younger  brother  of  the  Czar,  the  Grand 
Duke  Michael,  who  had  taken  a  special  interest  in  the 
physical  department  of  the  work  and  in  the  outfit  of 
the  gymnasium. 

In  the  meantime  oj)portunity  was  given  and  im- 
proved to  present  to  the  Czar  quite  fully  the  interna- 
tional dimensions  of  the  xVssociation  work  and  the  ex- 
tension of  American  method  and  influence  into  the 
Orient  as  well  as  the  Occident.  He  was  surprised  to 
learn  the  size  of  the  membership  of  the  Mayak — over 
1,200  young  men.  The  tangible  result  of  the  interview 
was  a  substantial  annual  contribution  (5,000  rubles) 
from  him  to  the  work  in  Pelrograd,  and  after  nine 
years  of  further  growth,  imperial  permission  was  given 
for  the  extension  of  the  Mayak  to  Moscow  and  other 
cities  throughout  Russia.  On  the  day  following  this 
interview  at  l*eterhof,  a  similar  reception  was  accorded 
to  Mr.  Morse,  the  President,  and  General  Secretary,  at 
the  Palace  in  Gatcliina  by  the  Grand  Duke  Michael  and 
his  nu)ther,  the  Empress  Dowager. 

Mr.  Stokes  made  another  and  last  visit  to  Russia  in 
1911 — an  occasion  made  memorable  as  the  decennial  an- 
niversary of  the  founding  of  the  Mayak.  Before  reach- 
ing Petrograd,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes  visited  Moscow, 
having  in  mind  the  establishment  of  a  branch  of  the 
society  in  that  place.  At  the  Association  in  the  capital 
of  the  Empire,  extensive  preparations  had  been  made  to 
receive  w^orthily  the  founder  of  the  society  and  his  ac- 


120  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

complished  wife.  They  were  installed  in  the  Hotel 
d'Europe  and  preparations  had  been  made  for  their 
reception  by  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress.  The  former 
had  decided  to  welcome  Mr.  Stokes,  Senator  Jlestchani- 
notf,  and  the  writer  at  the  palace  at  Tsarskoe  Selo, 
where,  after  a  reception,  they  took  luncheon.  A  day  or 
two  previously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes  and  Mr.  Gaylord 
had  been  received  at  the  Anichkoll'  Palace  by  the  Dow- 
ager Empress  Alexandra  Feodorovna.  But  the  welcome 
that  most  touched  the  lieart  of  Mr.  Stokes  was  the  one 
extended  by  the  young  men  of  the  Mayak,  who  had  long 
looked  forward  to  that  day. 

A  splendid  program  had  been  arranged  and  ad- 
dresses to  Mr.  Stokes  were  made  by  the  Council  and 
young  men.  A  beautiful  bouquet  of  flowers  was  pre- 
sented to  Mrs.  Stokes,  as  she  passed  upon  the  stair- 
way between  ranks  of  cheering  young  men,  and  dur- 
ing the  ceremony  an  ivory  casket  and  scroll  with  an 
illuminated  address  were  given  to  Mr.  Stokes,  The 
young  men  of  the  Mayak  regarded  its  founder  affec- 
tionately, and  their  gifts  were  the  real  expression  of 
their  hearts.  In  this  spirit  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes  always 
cherished  these  souvenirs. 

After  the  return  of  Mr.  Stokes  to  America  in  1911, 
his  interest  in  the  Russian  work  continued  to  increase, 
and  this  interest  was  evidenced  by  his  efforts  to  extend 
the  activity  of  the  Association.  Plans  were  laid  for 
the  purchase  of  a  building  in  Moscow,  and  a  number  of 
capable  secretaries  were  selected  to  aid  in  carrying  on 
the  work  there. 

Several  of  these,  for  various  reasons,  were  obliged 
to  return  to  America  after  short  engagements,  but 
Ralph  W,  Hollinger,  who  had  been  an  assistant  secre- 
tary in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  who  speedily  acquired  a 


BREAKING  l^TO  KLSSIA  121 

knowledge  of  the  liussiau  language,  showed  great  apti- 
tude lor  the  work  and  became  Mr,  Gaylord's  associate 
iu  the  secretaryship.  Herbert  Gregory  proved  a  most 
valuable  physical  director  and  did  excellent  work  until 
he  was  called  to  the  colors,  at  which  time  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Ilarry  W.  Long  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  In  De- 
cember, 1917,  Mr.  Gaylord  was  obliged  by  greatly  im- 
paired health  to  return  to  New  York.  Mr.  Ilollinger 
and  Mr.  Long,  however,  remained  some  months  longer, 
until  it  became  necessary,  owing  to  political  develop- 
ments, to  leave  for  Siberia.  I\[r.  Ilollinger  eventually 
became  secretary  for  city  work  in  Siberia;  Mr.  Long 
took  charge  of  physical  work  in  connection  with  the 
Madivostok  Association  and  Mr.  J.  J.  Somerville,  who 
had  served  most  acceptably  as  an  assistant  secretary 
in  Petrograd,  became  for  a  time  secretary  of  the  Vladi- 
vostok Association. 

A  society  was  founded  at  Vladivostok  in  1017,  with 
a  nucleus  of  thirty  members  of  the  Petrograd  Mayak 
then  residents  in  that  city.  At  its  first  meeting  the 
committee  and  members  in  attendance  gathered  around 
a  group  of  framed  lectures  of  Mr.  Stokes  and  the  Petro- 
grad work  and  were  photograjihed.  Thus  he  was  in 
spirit  present  at  the  opening  of  a  new  Association  on 
the  Pacific,  7,000  miles  distant  from  the  mother  society, 
and  when  the  news  of  Mr.  Stokes's  death  reached  Vladi- 
vostok the  society  there  held  a  special  service  iu  his 
memory  and  sent  a  letter  full  of  sympathy  to  his  wife. 
As  a  proof  of  the  influence  of  the  organization  founded 
in  Russia  by  Mr.  Stokes,  it  may  be  stated  without  fear 
of  contradiction  that  fnlly  30,000  young  men  have  been 
brought  into  contact  with  the  work  of  the  Mayak. 

In  concluding  this  chapter,  it  would  be  a  very 
serious  omission  not  to  si)eak  of  the  invahiable  help 


122  .TAjMES  stokes— pioneer 

jiiven  by  his  wife  to  the  work  undertaken  for  yonng 
men  by  Mr.  Stokes,  For  fourteen  years  he  had  her 
entire  sympathy  in  these  enterprises.  Her  good  judg- 
ment was  an  invaluable  asset  and  her  unfailing  gen- 
erosity put  no  brake  upon  the  execution  of  the  generous 
intentions  of  her  husband.  Only  those  can  appreciate 
wliat  such  cooperation  involved  who  know  what  de- 
mands were  made  upon  her  jiatieuce,  her  time,  and  her 
strength.  It  must  have  been  a  deep  satisfaction  to  her 
to  realize  that,  as  a  result  of  her  unfailing  devotion, 
great  blessings  have  been  brought  to  thousands  of  Rus- 
sian young  men  and  that  the  siiiritual  and  moral  forces 
released  by  the  work  of  Mr.  Stokes,  in  which  she  had  so 
large  a  share,  will  continue  to  ojjerate  through  all  the 
future,  whatever  government  may  j^revail  in  Russia. 


An  ArPUEciATioN  fkom  St.  Pi:tkuslu'K(;  Mkmuehs 
In  making  thf  |)rosontation  of  a  "Irca-surc  box"  (inlaid 
with  ivory  and  centuries  old)  on  "this  jilorious  day,"  the 
day  of  the  oi)('nin{>;  of  the  "Mayak,"  thr  above  engrossed, 
illuminated  testimonial  was  tend(>red.    It  reads: 
'"Mr.  .Stokes:  Ten  years  ago  you  laid  the  foundation  of  our  St. 
Petersburg  'Mayak,'  and  since  then  the  bright  rays  of  this  "Light- 
house' have  been  unceasingly  illuminating  the  path  ujjon  whieli  we 
enter  at  the  beginning  of  our  lives.     Owing  to  you,  founder  of  the 
first  Iiu.«isian  Association  for  the  religious,   intellectual,  and  phj'si- 
cal  development  of  young  men,  we,  members  of  your  'Mayak,'  are 
enabled  to  enjoy  all  those  benefits  of  human  progress  and  culture 
which   formerly   were  almost    inaccessible   to   us.     Owing   to  you, 
thousands  of  us,   Russian  young  men.  not  only  b(>gan  to  believe 
that    such    words   as    'e(iuality,'    'fraternity,'    and    'Christian    love 
towards  ()n(>'s  neighbor'  are  not  mere  empty  sounds,  but  came  to 
realize  their  full  force,  since  we  could  not  help  seeing  that  in  estab- 
lishing your  'Mayak'  in  a  far  country— a  country  one  might  con- 
sider strange  to  you — you  were  guided  e.xclusively  by  those  noble 
sentiments  and  motives." 


THE   ATTEMPT   TO    INTRODUCE   ASSOCIATION 

WORK  INTO  THE  GERMAN  ARMY 

AND  NAVY 

William  B.  Millar 

The  mighty  tide  which  swept  away  the  old  empire  of 
William  Hohenzollerii  was  fed  by  many  secret  springs. 
Tracing  these  to  their  source  has  challenged  the  wisest 
students  since  that  fateful  day  when  Germany's  glit- 
tering legions  marched  across  Belgium's  border. 

Y'esterday  there  was  a  big,  wise  world  that  knew  that 
the  bloody  seas  of  war  would  not,  indeed  could  not, 
again  sweep  across  the  nations ;  there  was  also  a  wiser, 
though  smaller  world  that  knew  that  the  future  was 
fraught  with  danger  of  war's  awful  havoc.  Of  this 
smaller  world  were  those  whose  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence were  gained  in  close  touch  with  the  mighty  mili- 
tary machines  being  built  by  Europe's  most  powerful 
peoples  and  in  close  touch  also  with  the  growing  mis- 
understanding and  unfriendliness  manifest  in  certain 
strategic  centers.  The  citizens  of  this  wiser  world 
embraced  a  small  group  of  men  who  not  only  appre- 
hended perils  ahead,  but  also  sought  by  every  means  in 
their  power  to  avert  the  threatening  catastrophe. 

Among  these  clear-headed,  big-hearted  citizens  of  a 
world  empire  was  James  Stokes.  As  a  world  trav- 
eler Mr.  Stokes  had,  and  used,  abundant  opportunity 
to  observe  the  dangerous  trend  of  the  currents  of 
thought  which  were  drifting  through  European  capi- 

123 


124  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

tals  in  pre-war  days.  As  a  world  benefactor  he  sought 
to  do  all  he  could  to  turn  these  tides  into  safer  chan- 
nels. Mr.  Stokes  perceived  that  certain  misunder- 
standings between  nationalities  must  be  cleared  up  and 
more  brotlierly  relationships  established  if  the  material 
and  s|)iritual  welfare  of  the  nations  were  to  be  safe- 
guarded.  And  to  aid  in  bringing  about  this  tremen- 
dously important  change,  Mr.  Stokes  placed  greatest 
value  upon  the  young  manhood  of  the  world.  ''If  the 
3'oung  men  of  the  nations  can  be  brought  to  think  right- 
eously, the  Kingdom  that  now  is,  is  safe,  and  the  usher- 
ing in  of  the  greater  Kingdom  that  is  to  be,  will  be 
speeded,"  Mr.  Stokes  was  wont  to  say. 

Of  this  strong  conviction  was  born  Mr.  Stokes's  deep 
and  abiding  interest  in  the  young  men  not  only  of 
America,  but  also  of  France,  Italy,  and  Knssia — an 
interest  evinced  by  years  of  devotion  to  their  service, 
chieflj'  through  the  channels  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  and  he  sought  to  do  as  much  for  the 
young  men  of  Germany.  With  almost  prophetic  in- 
sight he  saw  the  tremendous  im])ortance  of  establishing 
a  spirit  of  real  brotherhood  among  the  young  manhood 
of  Germany,  England,  France,  and  Russia,  and  few 
knew  better  than  he  the  diflQcnlties  in  the  way.  Appre- 
ciating fully  that  only  upon  a  Christian  foundation 
could  such  a  .structure  of  mutual  understanding  be 
built,  and  knowing,  too,  the  dominance  of  the  military 
classes  in  Germany,  Mr.  Stokes  felt  that  lirst  emphasis 
should  be  placed  upon  the  establishing  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  in  the  Army  and  Navy  of 
the  Kaiser's  domain. 

Accordingly,  in  dififerent  ways,  he  sought  to  arouse 
the  interest  of  oflBcial  Germany  in  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  and  felt  that  the  great  Jubilee 


THE  (JICKMAN  AKMY  AND  NAVY  125 

to  be  held  in  Boston  in  1J)01  might  be  used  to  this  end. 
So  for  months  preceding  this  gathering  he  endeavored 
at  great  pains  to  have  a  member  of  the  royal  family 
delegated  to  attend  the  convention,  in  order  that  he 
might  get  an  impression  of  what  the  Association  was 
doing  in  other  lands,  and  thus  carry  back  with  him  to 
his  own  country  an  inspiration  to  support  and  develop 
the  work  there. 

For  a  time  it  seemed  that  he  had  been  able  to  secure 
the  interest  of  the  Emperor,  a  most  voluminous  corre- 
spondence attesting  this  fact,  and  that  the  Crown 
Prince  himself  might  be  present  at  Boston;  but  in  this, 
after  much  patient  work,  Mr.  Stokes  was  disa])pointed 
— a  disappointment  whose  poignancy  was  measured  by 
the  earnestness  of  his  etforts  to  bring  about  this  visit 
and  his  deep  conviction  of  its  great  importance. 

One  of  the  outstanding  characteristics  of  Mr.  Stokes 
was  his  persistence.  When  once  determined  upon  a 
certain  course  he  never  gave  up.  It  could  well  be  said 
of  him  as  it  was  of  a  certain  great  general — ''he  never 
knew  when  he  was  beaten.''  Mr.  Stokes  did  not  know 
the  meaning  of  the  word  .surrender.  It  was  not  in  his 
vocabulary.  If  Mohammed  would  not  go  to  the  moun- 
tain, the  mountain  must  go  to  Mohammed.  If  the  royal 
family  of  Germany  would  not  come  to  see  what  the 
Association  was  doing  in  the  world,  then  some  other 
way  must  be  found  to  get  them  to  see  it.  He  knew  that, 
with  conditions  then  obtaining  in  Germany,  if  the 
Emperor  could  be  interested  the  way  would  be  quickly 
opened  for  the  advancement  of  the  work  for  young  men 
throughout  the  empire. 

Accordingly,  Mr.  Stokes  determined  to  see  the  Kaiser 
personally  and  endeavor  to  arouse  his  interest.  In  car- 
rying out  this  purpose  he  visited  Germany,  and  after 


120  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

some  delay  he  was  granted  an  audience  with  Emperor 
AVilliam,  In  the  light  of  recent  history  it  is  a  matter 
of  more  than  ordinary  regret  that  court  courtesy  pre- 
vented a  full  reporting  of  this  interview,  and  in  the 
same  light  it  is  a  matter  of  far  greater  regret  that  the 
Emperor  of  all  the  Germans  was  not  more  keenly  alive 
to  even  his  own,  i.'ot  to  mention  his  subjects'  best  inter- 
ests at  such  a  critical  hour.  Even  now  was  the  hand- 
writing on  the  wall  beginning  to  appear,  but  it  was  all 
unheeded  by  the  monarch,  blinded  by  his  colossal 
schemes.  Mr.  Stckes  sjioke  of  the  great  achievements 
of  the  Association  in  helping  young  men  in  many  lands, 
and  enlarged  upon  the  work  in  the  American  Army 
and  Kav}'.  The  royal  listener  was  gracious  but  un- 
moved. He  did  not  seem  to  comprehend  that  his  great 
military  machine  was  a  thing  made  up  of  tlesh  and 
blood  units.  It  would  seem  that  in  the  royal  mind  the 
individual,  his  liberty  and  rights,  had  long  since  been 
lost  sight  of  in  the  larger  development  of  the  aggregate 
— the  state,  the  nation — an  attitude  of  mind  more  read- 
ily understood  now  than  in  pre-war  days.  Mr.  Stokes, 
however,  felt  that  some  progress  had  been  made  and 
suggested  that  the  secretary  in  charge  of  this  depart- 
ment of  the  work  in  America  might  later  visit  Germany, 
investigate  what  was  being  done  for  the  German  sol- 
diers iuid  sailors,  and  that  such  a  visit  might  be  made 
mutually  beneficial,  and  to  this  His  Majesty  agreed. 

Mr.  Stokes  had  watched  this  work  which  he  was  so 
anxious  to  see  incorporated  in  the  (Jerman  Army  and 
Navy  since  its  inception  in  1S98,  and  had  aided  in  its 
development.  Three  days  after  the  President's  call  for 
volunteers  in  the  Spanish-American  War,  the  Interna- 
tional Committee  had  mot  in  Mr.  Stokes's  office  build- 
ing on  Cedar  Street  to  consider  the  situation.     Mem- 


TI1F>  (JEKMAN  ARMY  AND  NAVY  12? 

bers  of  the  ('oiiimittiH^,  in  addilioii  (o  Mi".  Stokes,  who 
bad  seen  some  of  the  work  of  the  Christian  Conuni.ssion 
in  the  Civil  War — work  which  had  been  iiianjj^nrated  by 
the  Association  bnt  had  soon  swnn^  away  from  it 
because  the  movement  was  not  then  strong  enoii<^h  to 
handle  it — saw  clearly  that  there  had  come  to  the  Asso- 
ciation another  opportunity  for  a  mighty  service  to 
those  young  men  who  uphold  the  nation's  honor  on 
land  and  sea. 

By  a  unanimous  vote  the  Committee  decided  to  inau- 
gurate the  work  immediately,  and  a  few  days  later 
the  matter  was  placed  before  the  Secretary  of  War 
and  the  general  commanding  the  Army,  both  of  whom 
expressed  a  deep  interest  in  the  proposition  and  prom- 
ised hearty  support. 

Permission  was  given  to  open  work  in  the  army 
camps,  naval  stations,  and  on  board  the  ships  of  the 
Navj',  and  very  quickly  the  machinery  of  the  entire  As- 
sociation movement,  local,  state,  and  international, 
was  in  operation,  perfecting  and  carrying  out  the  plans 
for  this  work.  Large  tents  were  put  into  commission 
at  the  various  centers  and  with  the  different  regiments, 
with  supplies  of  all  kinds  for  the  use  and  entertain- 
ment of  the  men.  With  the  armies  of  invasion,  to 
Cuba,  Porto  Eico,  and  the  Philippines  went  the  Asso- 
ciation, until  it  came  to  be  considered  a  necessary  part 
of  the  Army  itself.  Upon  the  transports  and  vessels 
of  the  Navy,  Association  secretaries  with  their  equip- 
ment were  welcomed  with  great  cordiality  by  both  offi- 
cers and  men. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  especially  interested  in  the  religious 
work,  upon  which  great  emphasis  was  placed.  Here 
were  young  men  facing  new  and  untried  conditions, 
beset  with  temptations  in  a  new  form.    They  were  also 


128  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

facing  possible  (leath  and  it  was  felt  that  their  greatest 
need  could  be  met  only  by  the  presentation  of  the  gos- 
pel message.  Thousands  of  men  took  an  open  stand  for 
Christ  and  as  far  as  possible  they  were  gathered  into 
Bible  classes. 

After  the  war  the  work  was  made  permanent  and 
money  was  secured  for  the  erection  of  buildings  at 
naval  stations  and  army  posts,  and  for  their  equip- 
ment and  endowment.  Unspeakably  vile  conditions 
were  found  surrounding  these  centers,  appealing  to  all 
the  lower  appetites  of  young  men.  Places  of  evil  resort 
of  every  kind  and  sort  abounded;  harpies  and  land 
sharks  were  plentiful.  Never  had  the  Association  found 
a  needier  field. 

The  first  building  was  erected  near  the  New  York 
Navy  Yard  in  Brooklyn.  Miss  Helen  Miller  Gould  had 
become  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  enlisted 
men  and  through  her  generosity'  this  building  was  pro- 
vided. It  was  soon  overtaxed  and  its  capacity  was 
doubled  by  the  generous  gift  of  Mrs.  Russell  Sage,  the 
total  projjcrty  costing  nearh'  a  juillion  dollars.  This, 
without  question,  is  the  best  building  for  the  sole  use 
of  naval  men  in  the  world,  and  it  has  been  a  haven 
of  refuge  to  the  men  of  the  fleets,  not  only  of  our  own 
but  of  other  lands  as  well. 

As  quickly  as  i)ossible  other  buildings  were  erected 
at  other  naval  centers  and  at  the  leading  army  posts. 
At  Norfolk,  Virginia,  a  building  was  given  by  Mr.  John 
D.  Rockefeller,  and  Mrs.  Thomas  J.  Emery  erected  an- 
other at  Newijort,  Rhode  Island.  In  addition  to  build- 
ings provided  at  other  naval  stations  and  at  the  lead- 
ing army  posts,  rented  quarters  were  secured  at  the 
smaller  stations  and  work  was  continued  and  developed 
upon  the  vessels  of  the  Navy,  the  aim  of  the  Associa- 


Tin:  (J  10  KM  AN   ARMV  AND  NA\  V  12i) 

iiou  beiii^  (o  surround  tlic  eulistxMl  men  of  our  Army 
aud  Navy  whcrovcr  they  wont,  at  home  or  abroad,  with 
upliftinj?  and  helpful  influences. 

Durin{2^  all  this  deveh'pment  Mr.  Stokes  had  been 
a  careful  observer  and  had  heli)ed  whenever  possible, 
gfiving  counsel  and  sugp;estion.s  and  material  aid.  And 
frequently  he  raised  the  question  whether  the  same 
})l;ins  Ihat  were  proviiii?  so  snccef^sfiil  could  not  be  put 
inlo  opera! ion  in  Hie  armies  and  navies  of  other 
couniries. 

It  has  been  well  said  that  Mr.  Stokes  was  an  inter- 
nationalisl,  and  it  <loes  not  minimize  that  statement  to 
say  that  he  was  also  a  si  vr.w^  patriot.  lie  was  earnestly 
dex'oted  to  America  and  lu^i-  inleiests.  lie  did  not  agree 
with  Tolstoy  that  ''Patriotism  is  a  vice  and  belongs  to 
tite  tribal  peri(»d,"  but  ratlier  took  his  stand  with  Pres- 
ident SIcKinley  when  he  said  :  "Our  strength  rests  in 
our  patriotism;  anarchy  falls  before  it.  l*eace  and 
order  and  security  and  libeity  are  safe  so  long  as  love 
of  country  burns  in  the  hearts  of  the  people." 

His  intense  patriotism,  however,  did  not  prevent  hira 
fron»  being  a  citizen  of  the  world.  lie  believed  that 
America  had  a  great  mission  to  other  nations,  that 
boundless  resources  of  men  and  monev'  liad  been  in- 
trusted to  this  country  to  be  used  for  the  blessing  of 
other  nations,  especially  the  less  favored.  This  is  per- 
haps one  of  the  reasons  why  from  its  inception  he  took 
svidi  an  abiding  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Association 
among  the  soldiers  and  sailors.  He  saw  clearly  that 
they  could  be  a  blessing  or  a  curse  as  they  visited  other 
lands;  that,  for  examjde,  the  sailors  from  an  Ameiican 
warship  in  a  single  night's  debauch  in  a  foreign  port 
could  undo  years  of  painstaking  work  of  the  mission- 
aries and  dijdomats  of  our  land.     On  the  other  hand, 


130  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

the  clean,  Christian  conduct  of  tliese  men  wonld  be  a 
constructive  force  in  the  extension  of  American  ideals. 
It  was  this  that  caused  his  vital  interest  in  the  visit 
of  the  senior  Army  and  Navy  Secretary  to  the  Far  East 
during  the  Japanese-Kussian  War  and  the  inauguration 
of  the  work  by  the  .Japanese  Associations  among  their 
soldiers  and  sailors  in  that  conflict — a  work  that  com- 
manded the  attention  of  the  country  and  led  the  Mikado 
to  give  a  large  contribution  from  his  private  purse  to- 
"w^ard  its  maintenance. 

Mr.  Stokes  had  also  noted  with  interest  the  adoption 
of  the  American  plans  by  the  British  for  their  men  in 
the  Boer  War.  All  of  this  seemed  to  him  a  proof  of 
the  adaptability  of  this  effort  to  the  armies  and  navies 
of  the  world,  of  which  he  had  l>een  such  an  earnest  advo- 
cate. Whenever  foreign  warships  visited  our  ports 
Mr.  Stokes  aided  the  Naval  Association  in  extending 
every  courte-sy  to  the  visiting  sailors,  frequently  mak- 
ing it  financially  possible  to  give  them  the  largest  hos- 
pitality. Repeatedly  he  made  generous  provision  for 
receptions  in  the  Naval  Association  buildings  to  the 
visiting  sailors  of  France,  Germany,  Great  Britain, 
Japan,  and  other  countries.  Whenever  it  was  possible 
he  would  attend  these  receptions  in  person,  thus  giv- 
ing of  himself  as  well  as  his  money  to  the  extension  of 
the  work  to  other  lands. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the  leaders  of 
the  American  movement  found  in  him  a  cordial  sup- 
porter of  the  plan  to  call  a  conference  of  representa- 
tives of  the  different  nations  to  discuss  plans  for  the 
wider  extension  of  this  work  and  a  closer  affiliation  of 
the  workers.  Mr.  Stokes  generously  offered  to  defray 
the  expenses  connected  with  the  working  up  of  this 
conference,  which  was  held  in  Barmen-Elberfeld,  Ger- 


THE  (Ji:UMAN   AKMV   AM)   NAVY  VM 

mail}'.  Prince  BcM-ntulotle  of  Sweden  was  the  presiding 
ollieei*  and  some  foni'teeii  nations  were  i-ei)resented. 

In  the  light  of  hiter  historical  events  it  is  interesting 
to  recall  that  the  rejtresentatives  from  Germany  were 
ojHtosed  to  the  idea  of  any  elfective  cooperation  with 
other  nations  in  the  work  among  soldiers  and  sailors. 
Even  at  that  time  there  seemed  to  be  a  strong  fear  that 
any  drawing  together  of  this  kind  might  mean  an  inter- 
ference with  national  jirerogatives  or  tliat  it  might 
canse  dangerous  political  entanglements. 

The  attitude  of  ^Ir.  Stokes  toward  the  general  plan 
outlined  at  the  conference  is  shown  by  a  statement 
made  by  him  in  a  personal  letter  written  a  little  time 
before  the  conference  was  held.  After  speaking  of  the 
way  the  matter  had  been  presented  to  him,  he  says: 
''I  .saw  instantly  that  this  scheme  had  great  possibili- 
ties as  a  moral  force  among  the  immense  body  of  young 
men  who  are  exposed  to  special  temptations  of  the 
army  and  navy,  and  knowing  that  these  were  picked 
young  men  of  the  Continent,  it  seemed  to  me  that  if 
such  an  organization  could  be  started,  it  would  have 
a  healthful  ])olitical  ellect,  at  least  so  far  as  it  would 
encourage  international  amity  and  peace,  as  it  would 
bring  together  men  prominent  in  the  armies  and  navies 
of  all  nations  into  conference  in  behalf  of  the  best  effort 
to  discover  the  most  useful  ways  of  raising  the  morale 
of  the  young  men  under  their  charge."  In  that  sen- 
tence Mr.  Stokes  reveals  one  of  the  greatest  longings 
of  his  heart,  the  desire  for  peace  and  good  will  among 
the  nations. 

The  visit  of  the  senior  Army  and  Navy  Secretary  of 
the  American  Associations  to  Germany,  which  Mr. 
Stokes  had  suggested  to  the  Kaiser,  was  made  in  due 
time.    Mr.  Stokes  requested  the  German  Foreign  Cilice 


U2  JAMEkS  STOKES— pioneer 

to  arrange  inUM-viows  for  the  socrelary  with  Oerinan 
ofYicials  and  an  audience  Avitli  the  I'^niperor,  and  also 
that  the  way  he,  opened  for  the  representative  of  tlio 
American  Associations  to  see  what  Germany  was  doing 
for  the  welfare  of  her  soldiers  and  sailors;  all  of  whicli 
the  Foreign  OHice  most  kindly  did.  The  easy  readiness 
of  officials  to  lay  bare  the  fact  that  comparatively  little 
was  being  done  in  the  way  of  ('hristian  or  welfare  work 
for  the  men  of  the  service  but  eTiij>hasized  their  point 
of  view.  Such  effort  was  not  well-invested  time,  tal- 
ent, or  money  in  the  German  theories  of  building  u\) 
military  [)ower.  To  observe  that  even  to  the  remotest 
corner  of  the  empire  military  power  was  supreme,  was 
a  surprise  to  the  secretary.  While  he  was  in  Berlin 
awaiting  the  angnst  Kaiser'8  summons  for  an  audience, 
the  marriage  of  the  Crown  Prince  occurred.  The 
dazzling  <lis})Iay  of  regal  splendor  as  the  bride  and 
groom  rode  through  the  streets  of  the  capital  was  most 
impressive.  But  to  the  democratic  onlooker,  specters 
of  dead  men  walked  beside  the  coaches  of  glittering 
gold,  rode  beside  the  i)lumed  lords  and  nobles  upon  their 
gaily  caparisoned  steeds,  and  followed  in  the  wake  of 
gay  heralds  and  noisy  trumpeters.  The  specters  of 
dead  men  also  mingled  with  the  madly  cheering  hosts, 
among  whom,  even  then,  were  those  moved  by  a  strange 
spirit  of  unrest;  those  who  in  a  vague  and  undefined 
way  were  conscious  that  the  glittering  spectacle  was 
but  the  outward  symbol  of  a  system  that  put  heavy 
burdens  upon  already  burdened  shoulders.  These  were 
thej'  whose  voices  did  not  mingle  in  the  mad  shouts  and 
whose  arms  hung  motionless  amid  the  loud  clapping, 
but  who  in  these  latter  days  have  raised  both  voice  and 
arm  to  confound  every  exalted  one  in  that  memorable 
procession. 


Tiiio  (ji:kaian  army  and  navy        i:v: 

The  furlluM-  iiivesti^alioiis  witc  pm-Hued,  the  Htronger 
;;rew  (he  louviclioii  lh;il  (lie  l>i<»  cliasrn  between  officei's 
and  men  in  Uw.  ranks,  and  tjie  slronj;^  tide  setting  in 
against  <)r(h<)d<»x  Protestant  C!iri.s[i:inity,  as  well  as 
oilier  eanses,  ]!resenle<l  grave  dinieulties  to  the  pur- 
siiaiite  of  regnlar  lines  of  .\ss(ui:ition  eti'orl  in  the 
Ai-nij  an<]  Navy.  The  work  that  was  being  d<»i:e  was 
carried  on  with  many  discouragements  but  large  faith. 
Small  space  in  several  of  the  city  Ass'ociation  build- 
ings was  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the  men  of  the  service, 
and  to  enlarge  these  quarlors  and  make  more  vigorous 
and  appealing  this  effort,  Vvas  the  ho})e  of  those  who 
were  in  charge.  No  really  ade(iuate,  separate  biiildings 
bad  been  erected  for  the  work  with  one  or  two  notable 
exceptions. 

The  otticers  of  the  various  departnuMits  of  the  Gov- 
ernmeut  showed  e\ery  courtesy  to  their  visitor  but 
evinced  no  marked  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  men. 
The  then  unrenowned  Minister  of  Marine  graciously 
granted  an  hours  interview,  but  left  an  impression 
that  later  history  has  but  too  sadly  j)roved  correct. 
Everywhere  it  was  the  same  idea — build  up  the  big 
fighting  nuichine,  make  supreme  devotion  of  every  unit 
of  strength,  mental,  moral,  and  pliysical,  to  this,  and 
your  country  must  prove  uucon(iuerable. 

Owing  to  the  continued  functions  in  celebration  of 
the  royal  marriage  the  secretary  could  not  wait  for 
the  audience  which  was  granted  in  time,  a  matter  of 
deep  regret.  Yet  there  is  little  reason,  in  the  light  of 
subsequent  events,  to  assume  that  this  interview  could 
have  changed  the  current  of  thought  that  had  always 
possessed  the  Kaiser's  mind.  lie  was  alrea.dy  irrevo- 
cably comn'.itted  to  the  convict ioi^s  all  too  vrell  known 
to  the  world  of  todav. 


134  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

The  giant  (lillicultics  in  the  way  of  prosecuting  As- 
sociation work  successiully  in  the  German  Army  and 
Navy  on  an  adequate  scale  but  made  the  effort  to  do 
jnore  seem  necessary  to  Mr.  Stolies  as  well  as  to  those 
more  immediately  responsible.  As  late  as  1911  Mr. 
Stokes  continued  his  efforts  to  enlist  the  interest  of 
the  Emperor  and  the  (Icrman  officials  in  a  large  exten- 
sion of  the  work  in  tlieir  Army  and  Navy.  He  sug- 
gested the  holding  in  Berlin  of  an  exhibition  of  what 
was  being  done  for  the  men  in  the  different  armies  and 
navies  of  the  world.  But  this  suggestion,  though  very 
tactfully  presented,  was  not  favorably  received  by  the 
G-erman  officials  to  whom  he  presented  it.  Looking 
back  now  over  these  past  years  of  bloodshed,  it  would 
seem  that  Mr.  Stokes  had  some  premonition  of  what 
was  coming  and  sought  in  every  way  in  his  power  to 
turn  the  attention  of  the  leaders  of  Germany  to  a  piece 
of  constructive  work,  in  which,  if  they  had  applied  their 
great  genius  for  organization,  they  might  have  excelled 
anything  hitherto  accomplished  in  any  nation.  The 
young  manhood  of  that  empire  might  have  been  placed 
upon  a  moral  and  spiritual  eminence  and  might  have, 
today,  commanded  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the 
world.  The  Kaiser  and  his  officers  lost  the  opportunity 
of  rendering  a  mighty  service  to  humanity.  Instead, 
the  world  has  been  drenched  with  blood,  and  this  gen- 
eration and  another  must  pass  before  the  hatreds  en- 
gendered have  been  forgotten. 

Mr.  Stokes  is  gone — but  he  has  left  an  undying  rec- 
ord of  great  devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christian  inter- 
nationalism. 


XI 


THE    KNIGHTLY  COUNSELOR  OF   THE   YOUNG 
WOMEN'S    CUKISTLVN    ASSOCLVTION 


Mrs.  Thomas  S.  Gladding 


In  recalling  my  long  acquaintance  with  Mr.  James 
Stokes,  and  in  recently  reading  a  sheaf  of  his  illumi- 
nating correspondence  relating  to  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association,  I  am  impressed  anew  and  more 
vividly  than  ever  with  the  fact  thai  he  was  for  a  long 
period  of  years  the  knightly  and  brotherly  counselor, 
sui)porter,  and  friend  of  the  great  organization  which 
does  its  work  for  young  women  alongside  that  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  The  letters  I  have 
had  the  privilege  of  reading  extend  over  a  period  of 
thirty  years.  They  give  kindly  and  earnest  advice, 
they  often  accompany  generous  checks,  they  extend 
warm  encouragement  and  sometimes  congratulations 
for  work  accomplished,  they  utter  warnings  and  frank 
criticisms,  they  speak  of  tried  Association  methods, 
they  point  out  guiding  principles  of  Association  work. 

It  is  very  evident  that  Mr.  Stokes  consistently  main- 
tained, both  in  his  personal  and  in  his  official  relations 
to  the  leaders,  and  to  the  leaders-to-be,  of  the  Y'oung 
Women's  Christian  Association  movement,  that  the 
longer  and  therefore  larger  experience  of  the  Y''oung 
Men's  Christian  Association  leaders  should  be  freely 
shared  with  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tion. He  seemed  always  to  feel  a  noble  sense  of  obli- 
gation to  share  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  ex- 

135 


136  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

perience  and  Yovnig  Meu"s  Cliristiau  Association  influ- 
ence witli  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association 
leaders.  Tlie  history  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association  cannot  be  recorded  apart  from  the  gifts, 
the  counsels,  and  the  interest  of  Mr.  Stokes.  He  was 
really  a  living  part  of  the  movement  itself. 

The  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  founded  in  1870,  owed  its  inception, 
in  part,  to  the  interest  and  urgent  initiative  of  Mr. 
Stokes.  In  a  letter  written  in  1916  to  Mrs.  Clarence  E. 
Beebe,  the  late  president  of  this  Association,  Mr.  Stokes 
says:  ''I  little  thought,  vrhen  I  asked  my  old  friend 
Sarah  Hills  to  go  with  me  and  urge  Mrs.  Marshall  O. 
Koberts  to  start  this  work,  that  it  would  grow  to  such 
tremendous  proportions." 

He  was  for  many  years  the  secretary  of  the  Advisory 
Board  of  the  Fifteenth  Street  Association,  as  it  was 
familiarly  called,  resigning  when  he  was  about  to  make 
an  extended  world  tour.  His  correspondence  with  the 
leaders  of  the  Fifteenth  Street  Association,  now  become 
the  Fifty-third  Street  Branch  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  covers  a  wide  range  of  subjects  rang- 
ing from  the  main  princii)lcs  of  Association  work  to 
such  details  as  the  electric  wiring  of  the  Association 
building. 

Long  before  the  ijresent  extensive  Travelers'  Aid 
work  was  undertaken,  one  finds  Mr.  Stokes  writing  a 
letter  to  Miss  Doheny,  Chaplain  of  the  Fifteenth  Street 
Association,  expressing  to  her  his  anxiety  concerning 
proper  rejjresentation  from  the  Association  at  every 
boat  and  dock,  to  meet  incoming  young  women. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
International  Committee  of  Young  Women's  Christian 
Associations,  which  later  became  known  officially  as 


Tin:  !•  iH.sT  Yovsc,  Womkn's  Ciiiustiax  Association  Building, 
Fifteenth  Strekt,  New  York  City 
Of  this  organization  Mr.  Stokes  was  an  advocate  and  a  trus- 
tee, and  he  cooperated  with  his  cousin.  Miss  Grace  Dodge,  the 
president  of  the  National  Board  of  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association-;  in  its  establishment.  Mr.  Stokes's  sister  was  the 
president  of  the  first  l.^h  Street  Y.W.C.A. 


THE  KNKJIITLY  COUNSELOR  137 

the  American  Coniniittee.  In  a  letter  written  nearly 
twenty  years  ago  to  Mrs.  John  V.  Farwell,  Jr.,  of  Chi- 
cago, the  president  of  this  organization,  he  said :  "For 
years  I  have  had  it  intimated  that  the  International 
Committee  of  Yonng  Men's  Christian  Associations  had 
taken  yonr  Committee  nnder  tlieir  wing.  .  .  .  The  latter 
charge  is  somewhat  correct.  Cod  meant  that  men  and 
women  shonld  work  together  for  (lie  redemption  of  tiic 
world,  and  1  shonld  consider  one  of  the  essential  fea- 
tnres  in  any  proposed  movement,  that  in  some  way  yon 
should  have  the  use  and  benefits  of  the  half  century  of 
experience  which  our  young  men  have  gotten." 

He  was  also  interested  in  the  work  of  the  Interna- 
tional Board  of  Women's  and  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Associations,  and  pointed  out  to  them  that  they 
\\ould  greatly  gain  in  power  and  etfectiveness  if  they 
would  bring  their  otiicers,  scattered  over  the  continent, 
into  one  city  where  meetings  could  often  be  held. 

For  years  Mr.  Stokes  v/atched  the  progress  of  these 
two  international  bodies,  including  Y'oung  Women's 
Christian  Association  work  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  urgently  jjointed  out  to  them  as  oppor- 
tunity offered  the  advantages  that  would  come  to  them 
from  a  union  of  the  two  organizations  and  from  the 
centering  of  their  united  forces  in  New  Y'ork  City.  In 
writing  to  a  prominent  Western  woman  concerning 
this  hope  of  his,  he  said:  "Now,  I  think  I  have  proven 
myself  a  sincere  friend  according  to  the  Bible  rule,  for 
I  have  pointed  out  the  faults  and  difficulties  of  your 
present  situation,  and  I  am  glad  to  know  for  your  own 
sake  that  you  have  had  these  matters  under  considera- 
tion, and  the  original  suggestion  of  j'our  moving  East 
did  not  come  through  me,  but  from  your  own  selves. 
.  .  .  Was  there  ever  a  friend  so  faithful  and  outspoken, 


138  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

and  have  I  not  shown  that  I  have  not  only  the  general 
Avork,  but  your  interest  at  heart?" 

A  letter  written  twenty  years  ago  by  a  National 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  secretary,  in 
speaking  of  the  interest  of  Mr.  Stokes  in  the  union  of 
the  two  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  organi- 
zations of  those  days,  says  of  him : 

"He  is  undoubtedly  one  of  our  truest  friends  and  is 
intensely  interested  in  the  salvation  of  women,  believ- 
ing that  the  Young  AVomen's  Christian  Association  is 
the  organization  to  meet  the  needs  of  women.  He  has 
such  ideals  of  the  possibilities  of  Association  work  and 
is  willing  to  help  when  he  feels  that  it  is  thoroughly 
established.  He  has  talked  with  a  great  many  people 
during  the  summer  and  I  am  surprised  to  see  the 
amount  of  time  and  interest  he  is  giving  to  our  work." 

When  the  union  was  at  last  effected,  and  the  two  or- 
ganizations were  merged  in  the  National  Board  of 
Young  Women's  Christian  Associations,  it  was  a  source 
of  gratification  to  Mr.  Stokes  that  his  cousin,  Miss 
Grace  H.  Dodge,  was  unanimously  chosen  its  first 
president. 

Mr.  Stokes's  letters  w^ould  really  form  a  by  no  means 
brief  compendium  on  Association  principles  and  meth- 
ods, lie  constantly  refers  to  the  great  evangelical 
foundation  of  Association  work.  In  one  letter  he  says, 
"Now  the  Y^'oung  Men's  Christian  Association  found 
out  years  ago  that  they  could  not  ally  themselves  in 
active  Christian  work  with  those  who  deny  the  attri- 
butes of  their  Master,  wiiose  name  they  had  taken,  and 
that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  expect  successful  reli- 
gious work  with  any  such  alliance." 

Mr.  Stokes  warmly  encouraged  the  young  secretaries 
who  came  East  with  some  thought  of  founding  a  second 


TIIK  KNKJllTLY  COUNSELOR  i:W 

Yoimg  Women's  Cbristian  Association  in  New  York 
City,  and  who  di<l  eventually  found  what  is  now  known 
as  the  Harlem  Branch  of  that  city.  Referring  both  to 
the  names  of  these  ladies  and  to  their  ])i()neering  char- 
acteristics, he  wrote  of  them,  "I  call  them  'Stick  and 
Pull.'"  Mr.  Stokes  became  in  11)02  a  life  member  of 
the  Harlem  Branch  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association,  signing  himself  in  the  letter  which  in- 
closed his  check,  "As  always,  a  friend  of  the  work." 

He  was  deei)ly  interested  in  the  founding  of  the 
World's  Committee  of  Y'oung  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations, with  executive  headquarters  in  Loudon,  and 
he  was  often  in  correspondence  with  the  British  and 
American  members  of  that  committee.  He  also  gave 
his  earnest  counsel  and  financial  helj)  in  the  founding 
of  the  first  training  school  for  secretaries  in  connection 
with  the  original  American  Committee  of  Chicago. 

In  189()  Mr.  Stokes  really  made  a  beginning  for  the 
Y'oung  Women's  Christian  Association  work  in  Japan 
by  writing  from  Y'okohama  a  long  and  gi-acious  letter 
to  Miss  Tsuda,  a  ijrominent  educator,  calling  her  atten- 
tion to  the  work  of  the  Y\)ung  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation in  various  countries.  He  speaks  in  this  letter 
of  a  friendly  commission  which  he  had  received  from 
the  executive  body  in  London,  representing  the  World's 
Committee  of  l^'oung  Women's  Christian  Associations, 
authorizing  and  indeed  urging  him  to  study  the  condi- 
tions and  the  life  of  young  women  in  various  countries 
during  his  long  trip,  with  a  view  to  reporting  to  the 
London  committee  later.  He  says  that  he  is  "to  find 
out,  if  possible,  if  there  is  an  oi)euing  for  such  institu- 
tions in  Japan."  His  letter  goes  into  a  lengthy  expla- 
nation of  what  Youug  W^omen's  Christian  Association 
work  really  does  for  voung  women  and  means  to  them. 


140  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

Speaking  of  a  possible  Japanese  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Association,  be  says: 

"It  conld  have  various  classes  for  instruction,  wbicb 
would  (end  to  make  the  girls  self-supporting  and  grad- 
ually do  away  witb  tbe  unfortunate  idea  implanted  in 
so  many  nations  tbat  tbe  great — almost  tbe  only — 
tiling  a  woman  can  do  in  life  is  to  be  nuirried  and  be- 
come (be  mother  of  a  family,  however  beautiful  and  nat- 
ural this  may  be  under  proper  circumstances." 

He  adds  that  he  believes  ''that  the  Young  Men's 
and  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations  have  a 
great  mission  in  Jajjan,"  and  closes  by  saying: 

"I  am  delighted  to  think  tbat  women  like  yourself 
and  your  friend  and  others  who  will  become  interested 
in  it  will  have  the  great  pleasure  of  pioneering  this 
work.  I  am  very  sorry  not  to  see  you  again  to  talk  the 
matter  over  more  fully — though  all  partings  are  only 
temporary,  and  T  hope  that  some  day  we  shall  have  a 
chance  to  tell  the  stories  of  our  lives  in  our  Father's 
own  house  on  high." 

Later  Mr.  Stokes  made  it  financially  possible  to  send 
the  first  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  secre- 
tary from  America  to  Japan.  Dr.  John  K.  Mott,  writ- 
ing to  Mr.  Stokes  in  1900,  said:  "In  view  of  the  fact 
that  you  have  really  pioneered  the  way  for  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  in  Japan,  you  will  take 
special  satisfaction  in  inaugurating  the  movement 
itself." 

It  was  Mr.  Stokes  who  also  helped  the  Young  Wom- 
en's Christian  Association  work  in  early  days  in  France 
and  in  Italy.  In  1SU7  he  gave  both  time,  deep  interest, 
and  money  to  the  work  in  Italy,  which  was  then  com- 
paratively small.  Madame  Schalck  of  Turin,  President 
of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  of  Italy, 


Tin:  KM(;nTLV  coi  nsioi.ok  hi 

Nends  liiiii  :i  let t(>r,  tlianljiij;  him  for  his  hours  of  con- 
fereiKC  iiiid  for  his  csp(>ci:illy  oncouraging  words  to  the 
Association  secretary  in  Turin.  Her  letter  also  pre- 
sents to  him  for  his  consideration  and  he!])  a  })lan  for 
a  training  school  for  domestic  servants  niider  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Trotestant  Association,  to  be  established 
in  Turin.  It  is  evident  that  Mr.  Stokes  went  very 
tlioroughly  into  the  i>roblenis  of  tlie  Italian  Associa- 
tions in  conference  with  their  devoted  president.  An- 
other letter  from  Madame  Schalck,  written  to  Mr. 
Stokes  late  in  the  year,  thanks  him  for  his  ''most  gra- 
cious gift,"  ov.ing  to  wliich  the  Young  Women's  Chris- 
tian Association  in  Kome  was  opened  ''free  of  all  pecu- 
niary anxieties.'' 

It  is  i)leasant  to  read  in  Madam  Schalck's  letter  her 
thanks  for  Mr.  Stokes's  interest  in  her  young  son,  who 
was  so  pleased  to  have  the  American  gentleman  talk 
with  him  of  s])orts  and  athletics.  Madam  Schaick  ex- 
plains that  the  Italian  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion did  not  then  emphasize  sports  for  its  younger  mem- 
bers. Her  bo}'  was  much  jjleased  to  find  so  keen  an 
interest  on  the  part  of  the  great  American  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  leader.  It  gave  the  boy  a  new 
conception  of  a  Christianity  which  embraced  all  of 
life's  interests. 

In  a  letter  written  to  a  French  Association  leader  in 
lcS9G,  Mr.  Stokes  says  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association  work  in  Paris: 

''Here  let  me  say  that  while  1  have  no  right  to  take 
an^'  part  in  the  work  inaugurated  by  a  French  lady  for 
young  women,  planned  and  suggested  from  young  men's 
work,  1  am  deeply  interested  in  its  success,  as  1  am  one 
of  the  Advisory  Board  and  one  of  tlie  originators  of  the 
work  in  this  city  (New  York)  and  country,  i  hope  that 
tlie  ladies  who  have  charge  of  this  will  be  guided  aright 


142  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

and  will  see  above  all  things  that  tlie  spiritual  life  will 
be  kept  up;  for  unless  the  spiritual  life  is  kept  up  it 
wnll  be  simply  moral  and  utilitarian.  For  that  reason 
they  should  select  some  one  who  tlioroughly  under- 
stands the  work,  has  been  trained  in  it,  and  is  in  every 
way  a  devoted  Christian  person.  They  should  also  put 
themselves  in  correspondence  with  the  World's  Commit- 
tee of  ladies  located  in  London,  so  that  they  may  have 
all  the  advantages  of  their  experience." 

A  little  later  than  this  Mr.  Stokes  met  a  large  share 
of  the  expense  of  the  journey  and  sojourn  of  Miss  Annie 
M.  Reynolds  in  connection  with  her  first  visit  in  Rus- 
sia, in  the  hope  of  establishing  some  fellowships  there 
which  should  lead  to  the  founding  of  a  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  in  Russia  to  match  tlie  organiza- 
tion he  had  projected  for  young  men.  He  not  only  made 
generous  provision  for  this  pioneer  visit,  but  also  used 
his  influence  with  high  officials  in  Russia  to  pave  the 
way  for  Miss  Reynolds's  visit. 

Mr.  Stokes  made  a  careful  study  of  the  Young  W^om- 
en's  Christian  Association  in  its  various  scattered 
branches  during  his  stay  in  India,  and  made  possible 
the  early  work  of  the  first  National  Secretary,  Miss 
iVgnes  Gale  Hill.  Late  in  1900,  Miss  Hill  wrote  as 
follows  to  Mr.  Stokes :  "It  is  now  just  four  years  since 
you  came  to  Madras  and  there  began  a  task — the  task 
of  the  formation  of  the  National  Committee — which  I 
believe  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  best  tasks  ever 
begun." 

In  1910,  when  preparations  were  being  made  for  a 
historic  conference  of  the  Associations  included  in  the 
federation  of  the  World's  Committee  of  Young  Wom- 
en's Christian  Associations,  it  was  Mr.  Stokes  who 
wrote  to  the  American  Ambassador  in  Berlin,  putting 
before  him  the  significance  of  the  proposed  conference 


Tin:  KNKJTITLY  COUNSELOR  W.i 

and  bespoakiiifij  for  its  delegatos  tlip  holj)  and  cour- 
tesies of  the  American  Embassy. 

I  had  several  very  interesting  meetings  and  conver- 
sations with  Mr.  Stokes  not  long  before  his  death.  At 
the  first  of  these  meetings,  he  said  to  me  half  humor- 
ously, and  half  pathetically,  "I  am  seventy-five  years 
old,"  and  yet  he  was  as  fastidiously  groomed,  as  alert, 
and  as  interested  in  affairs  as  in  the  old  days.  lie  was 
just  then  planning,  in  spite  of  physical  indisposition, 
for  several  quiet  but  very  impressive  meetings  in  his 
home,  which  had  been  the  scene  of  so  many  private  talks 
and  public  conferences  concerning  the  work  for  young 
men  and  young  women  to  which  he  devote<l  his  life  and 
fortune. 

These  meetings  brought  together  a  company  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen  to  listen  to  delicate  and  yet  bold  and 
plain-spoken  presentations  of  the  temptations  of  sol- 
diers in  wartime,  made  by  men  fresh  from  camps  and 
fighting  lines.  The  speakers  urged  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association  to  dismiss  any  thought  of  enter- 
taining soldiers  by  dances  at  Association  centers  of 
hospitality;  pointing  out  most  solemnly  that  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  was 
to  safeguard  rather  than  in  any  possible  way  to  imperil 
the  social  life  of  the  American  soldiers.  Mr.  Stokes 
expressed  himself  very  clearly  and  yet  very  tenderly 
as  being  in  favor  of  a  hospitality  and  social  opportunity 
which  should  bring  young  people  together  in  all  sorts  of 
happy  ways,  but  should  eliminate  absolutely  the  un- 
graceful and  xQvy  questionable  modern  round  dances. 
So  far  as  I  know,  the  planning  of  these  meetings,  and 
the  correspondence  and  witness  of  Mr.  Stokes  in  con- 
nection with  them  to  both  the  Young  Men's  and  the 
Y'ouug  Women's  Christian  x\ssociations  was  his  last 


144  -JAMKS  STOKES— riONr]EH 

piece  of  work  for  (he  Voniisj;  Woineir.s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation. 

Many  stories  could  be  told  of  Mr.  Stokes's  thoughtful 
kindness  to  Associalion  secretaries  and  other  Associa- 
tion leaders,  on  many  occasions — the  knightly  acts  of 
the  kindly  and  chivalrous  Clirislian  gentleman  he  was. 
He  once  sent  to  a  committee  an  additional  che(k  of 
generous  proportions,  saying  that  he  noted  that  the 
secretary  wliose  sj)ecial  piece  of  work  he  had  been  sup- 
porting had  not  included  in  Jier  account  any  extras  in 
connection  with  her  long  and  arduous  journey.  On 
anotlier  occasion  he  was  making  a  sojourn  in  a  southern 
town  and  found  tliere  a  secretary  who  had  long  been 
connected  in  various  responsible  positions  with  Y,  W. 
C.  A.  work.  In  cjiljing  upon  her,  he  discovered  that  she 
was  in  the  South  because  of  two  invalid  members  of 
her  family,  and  that  they  were  living  very  simply  in 
order  to  afford  the  advantages  of  the  climate.  He  asked 
his  old  friend  if  she  would  not  name  to  him  some  special 
way  in  which  he  could  lielp  her.  Slie  must  allow  him  to 
help  at  least  a  little  in  the  general  expenses  of  the  win- 
ter's sojourn.  And  then  he  went  away,  leaving  in  her 
hands  an  envelope  containing  a  check  for  .flHO. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  the  blood  brother  and  unfailing  friend 
of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association.  All  its 
earlier  history  must  honor  him  as  a  c(uistant  adviser,  a 
generous  supporter,  a  thoughtful  leader. 


XII 

GUIDING   TRINCIPLES 
Charles  K.  Op.er 

Dr.  Mott  has  referred  to  the  fact,  recognized  by  all 
who  knew  James  Stokes,  that  lie  was  loyal  to  certain 
guiding  principles  by  which  he  ruled  his  life  and  made 
his  decisions.  The  writer  of  this  chapter  knew  Mr. 
Stokes  for  more  than  thirty  years  as  a  friend  and  an 
associate  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
work  in  North  America,  and  is  also  conversant  with  the 
great  and  varied  work  promoted  and  supported  by  Mr. 
Stokes  in  European  countries.  Mr.  Stokes  was  not 
a  diflficult  man  to  understand.  He  was  simple,  frank, 
open-hearted,  outspoken,  friendly,  responsive,  consist- 
ent, jiersistent,  and  always  true  to  his  guiding  prin- 
ciples. What  were  the  principles  upon  which  this 
single-minded,  true-hearted  Christian  layman  built  his 
beautiful  and  beneficent  life  and  wrought  for  more  than 
half  a  century  as  lover  and  helper  of  the  young  men 
of  many  nations?  Mr.  Stokes's  dominant  and  guiding 
principles,  as  known  by  his  friends,  grew  out  of  his 
religious  life  and  his  identification  with  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  He  was  a  Christian  and 
he  was  "an  Association  man." 

Mr.  Gaylord  has  spoken  of  him  as  "a  man  of  faith." 
I  like  to  think  of  Mr.  Stokes  as  a  hoy  of  faith.  He  was 
only  a  boy  when  he  helped  organize  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  x\ssociation  in  New  York  City  and  only  a 
very  young  man  when  he  jirevailed  upon  Robert  R. 
McBurney  to  return  to  the  secretaryship  of  the  New 

145 


146  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

York  City  Association  as  bis  life  work.  I  like  to  think 
of  James  Stokes  as  coiisecratiug  himself  to  this  work 
for  young  men  just  as  truly  as  McBurney  did.  I  think 
that  Stokes  said  "come"  to  McBurney  and  not  ''go." 
Certain  it  is  that  they  two  went  on  together,  in  a  great 
and  abiding  work  for  God  and  men,  in  which  neither 
of  them  rested,  and  from  which  neither  could  be  turned 
aside. 

To  Mr.  Stokes  religion  w'as  a  vital  experience  and 
fellowshij).  It  was  his  life,  not  something  added  to  it. 
He  went  about  doing  good,  not  merely  because  Christ 
lived  that  way,  but  because,  having  drunk  deep  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  he  was  filled  with  compassion  for  the 
multitudes.  Though  he  had  abundant  means  and  lei- 
sure to  gratify  every  self-indulgent  wish,  he  filled  his 
days  with  deeds  and  his  nights  with  cares  for  others 
because  he  really  cared.  He  served  because  he  loved, 
and  his  love  for  men  was  kindled  and  sustained  by  the 
love  of  Christ,  which  to  him  was  the  greatest  reality 
of  his  life. 

Mr.  Stokes  from  his  boyhood  loved  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  and  did  what  he  could  to  inter- 
pret and  to  promote  it.  As  "an  Association  man"  he 
idealized  the  Association  and  sought  to  build  its  prin- 
ciples into  his  life  program.  The  Association  ideal  is 
a  composite  of  several  great  ideas,  such  as,  a  working 
brotherhood  of  all  Christian  young  men,  the  interest 
and  program  of  the  Association  in  the  whole  life  of 
young  men,  the  association  of  the  efforts  of  the  many  for 
the  accomplishing  of  the  common  tasks,  character  build- 
ing on  the  standards  of  Christ,  the  leadershij)  of  lay- 
men, personal  evangelism,  and  the  program  of  Christ 
for  the  young  men  of  the  nations. 

Any  one  of  these  ideas  is  great  enough  to  fire  the 


GIT11)IN(J    I'KlNCll'LES  147 

iinaginaf ion  and  coniniand  the  loyalty  of  the  greatest 
of  men,  and  the  whole  Association  ideal,  given  the  right 
of  way  in  any  man's  life,  will  challenge  and  enlist  his 
latent  forces  and  lift  him  to  the  highest  attainable  plane 
of  character  and  achievement.  Mr.  Stokes  felt  in  his 
own  life  the  fnll  impact  and  dynamic  of  all  of  these 
great  ideas,  and  hel^ted  to  bnild  the  Association  on 
this  pattern,  in  building,  he  was  himself  built  up,  as 
thousands  of  others  have  been,  and  became  great  in  his 
idealism  and  also  great  in  service. 

One  of  the  guiding  principles  in  Mr.  Stokes's  life  was 
that  of  working  through  and  with  other  men,  and  where 
the  right  man  was  not  already  related  to  the  task,  of 
selecting  and  training  the  man.  As  the  volunteer  sec- 
retary of  the  New  York  City  Association,  he  saw  that 
the  work  was  beyond  his  powers,  or  the  powers  of  any 
man  who  served  purely  as  a  volunteer,  and  he  selected, 
persuaded,  and  supported  Robert  R.  McBurney,  who 
in  his  career  of  thirty-six  years  as  the  employed  Gen- 
eral Secretary  of  the  New  York  City  Association,  pio- 
neered and  demonstrated  the  profession  of  the  Associa- 
tion secretaryship.  Mr.  Stokes  continued  an  officer 
and  volunteer  worker  of  the  New  Y''ork  Association 
throughout  McBurney's  administration  and  was  one  of 
the  group  of  conspicuous  Association  laymen  who  dem- 
onstrated the  indispeusability  of  the  leadership  of  the 
laymen  in  the  Association  while  McBurney  was  dem- 
onstrating the  secretaryship. 

Mr.  Stokes  learned  of  the  beginnings  of  the  Railroad 
Association  work  in  Cleveland  and  invited  to  his  home 
for  conference  and  to  interest  the  members  of  his  own 
family,  the  converted  railroad  man,  Henry  Stager,  by 
whom  this  work  was  started  in  Cleveland.  Mr.  Stokes 
saw  the  possibilities  of  a  great   religious  movement 


148  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

among  railroad  men,  exteiidiug  to  all  the  great  railroad 
systems,  and  wanted  to  help  in  its  development.  But, 
he  was  not  a  "railroad  man"  though  he  had  a  friend 
who  was,  and  he  interested  and  enlisted  Cornelius  Van- 
derbilt,  who  made  this  work  possible  in  New  York  City 
and  on  the  New  York  Central  Lines,  and,  as  a  member 
of  the  International  Committee,  helped  greatly  in  its 
extension  on  the  great  railway  systems  of  the  United 
States  and  (Canada. 

Mr.  Stokes's  selection  of  Thomas  K.  Cree  for  his  tem- 
porary but  statesman-like  and  highly  efficient  work  in 
European  capitals,  and  his  selection  and  support  of 
Franklin  Gaylord  for  his  seven  years  of  constructive 
organization  in  Paris  and  his  similar  service  for  nearly 
nineteen  years  in  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  are  con- 
spicuous illustrations  of  this  princijde  by  which  Mr. 
Stokes  was  so  wisely  guided  in  his  work  with  men. 

Cree  and  Gaylord,  however,  were  pioneers  and  ad- 
vance agents  for  native  European  young  men  whose  dis- 
covery, training,  and  leadership  were  essential  to  the 
highest  efficiency  and  the  permanence  of  the  work  un- 
dertaken. Mr.  Stokes,  therefore,  aided  in  the  selection 
and  provided  for  the  professional  training  in  America 
of  more  than  thirty  promising  young  men  of  France, 
Italy,  and  other  European  countries  and  cooperated 
with  them  in  their  work. 

Addilional  men  from  America  were  also  needed  for 
positions  in  the  Association  work  in  Europe,  in  select- 
ing whom  Mr.  Stokes  required  evidence  not  only  of 
character,  ability,  personality,  and  adaj)talion  to  the 
task,  but  of  genuine  religious  convictions  and  the  spirit 
of  service.  To  satisfy  himself  as  to  the  possession  of 
these  qualifications,  he  spared  no  pains  or  expense,  fre- 
quently bringing  men  and  their  wives  from  long  dis- 


UIJ1I)I.\(J   rULNCIlVLES  14J> 

hinces  to  be  guests  ii»  his  home,  for  the  purpose  of  per- 
sonal interview  and  opportunity  for  acquaintance  and 
api)raisal  of  their  personality  and  fitness  for  the  cou- 
teiupUited  work.  When  the  right  man  was  found,  Mr. 
Stokes  would  support  him  to  the  limit,  not  only  in  the 
work  undertaken,  but  in  giving  time  and  meeting  the 
expense  involved  in  two  or  more  years  of  technical 
training,  if  necessary,  to  tit  the  man  for  his  task. 

The  recognition  of  his  trusteeship  was  a  guiding 
principle  of  Mr.  Stokes's  life.  He  was  one  that  had 
great  possessions,  but  with  these  he  recognized  that 
he  had  inherited  great  obligations,  that  he  was  a  debtor 
to  less  favored  men.  lie  did  not  wait  for  these  men  to 
seek  him  out  and  solicit  his  help,  though  many  did  this, 
but  he  went  far  afield  to  tind  needy  men  to  whom  he 
might  minister.  Witness  his  mission  and  niinistiy  to 
the  young  men  of  France,  Italy,  Kussia,  Germany,  and 
other  neglected  and  inarticulate  fields.  Witness  also 
his  journeys  oft  and  labors  abundant  in  seeking  to  ex- 
plore and  to  administer  his  beneficent  undertakings. 
At  his  death,  he  left  his  fortune  as  a  trust  to  perpetii- 
ate  the  Christian  and  philanthropic  works  which  he  had 
begun  but  had  not  the  time  to  finish.  His  will,  a  re- 
markable document,  is  a  witness  to  the  principle  of 
stewardship  by  which  his  life  was  guided,  probably 
growing  out  of  his  commitment  to  the  ideal  of  the 
Association. 

With  Mr.  Stokes,  prayer  was  also  a  vital  and  guid- 
ing principle.  He  was  not  ostentatious  in  prayer,  in 
fact  seldom  prayed  in  i)ublic,  but  he  knew  the  path  to 
"the  secret  jDlace,"  and  habitually  walked  that  way. 
He  prayed  about  the  work  before  and  after  undertaking 
it,  and  he  prayed  for  the  workers,  sharing  their  bur- 
dens and  bringing  them  all  to  the  great  Burden  Bearer. 


150  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

Having  access  to  ''the  springs  in  the  monntains/'  he 
renewed  his  strength  and  purpose  to  live  the  unselfish 
life  and  he  overcame  the  world.  On  rare  occasions,  as 
when  touched  by  emotion,  deep  and  mighty  rivers  of 
prayer  have  poured  from  Mr.  Stokes's  heart,  giving  evi- 
dence of  an  intimate  fellowship  with  God,  a  faith  that 
would  not  let  him  go  without  the  blessing  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  God's  ways  that  can  come  only  from  a  life  of 
prayer. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  also  guided  by  the  principle  of  self- 
denial  and  of  protest  against  the  customs  and  tenden- 
cies that  undermine  character  in  young  men  and 
women.  There  are  such  customs  and  tendencies  which 
are  considered  to  be  good  form  in  modern  society.  The 
best  qualities  of  the  old  Puritan  were  reincarnated  in 
Mr.  Stokes.  He  was  not  an  ascetic,  nor  a  "kill-joy"  but 
he  knew  life,  especially  the  social  life  of  a  great  city 
and  he  knew  that  multitudes  of  choice  young  men  and 
women  went  down  and  out  with  the  human  wreckage, 
because  they  could  not  stand  the  strain  of  the  tempta- 
tions deliberately  set  before  them  in  society,  and  there- 
fore he  set  his  face  and  raised  his  voice  against  such 
customs. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  loyal  to  the  principle  of  the  evangel 
and  to  the  practice  of  evangelism.  Philanthropy,  edu- 
cation, and  the  Association's  broad  program  of  social, 
I)hysical,  and  economic  betterment  a])pealed  to  him  and 
had  his  generous  and  continued  su])port.  But  he  felt  that 
all  these  were  but  an  expression  of  the  spirit  of  Christ 
and  a  i)art  of,  not  a  substitute  for,  the  direct  presenta- 
tion of  Christ  to  men  as  their  jjersonal  Saviour  and 
Lord.  A  lifetime  friend  of  Moody  and  McBurney,  Mr. 
Stokes  knew  the  power  of  the  Gospel  to  win  men  to 
God,  in  public  or  private  presentation,  to  transform 


GUIDING  PRINCIPLES  151 

character,  and  to  enlist  men  in  the  iirogram  of  the 
Kinj^doni  of  (iod  among  men.  If  an  Association,  or  an 
Association  training  agency,  seemed  to  him  to  have 
lost  its  vision  of,  or  loyalty  to,  the  principle  of  the 
evangel,  it  lost  antomatically  his  interest  and  snpport. 

Mr.  Stokes's  life  was  governed  by  the  principle  of 
friendship.  He  became  a  i)hilanthropist  because  he 
was  a  friend.  Tlie  more  he  gave  away,  the  richer  he 
became — in  friendship,  for  with  his  gifts  of  money  and 
service,  he  gave  himself,  and  the  interest  on  the  invest- 
ment of  oneself  can  bo  jiaid  only  in  kind. 

Mr.  Stokes  was  very  approachable;  in  fact,  he  gen- 
erally took  the  initiative.  He  was  interested  in  young 
men,  and  in  all  that  concerned  them.  I  think  that  his 
interest  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was 
chiefly  because  it  is  a  friendly  organization,  with  many 
opportunities  for  i)ersonal  contact.  All  the  men  who 
rei)resented  him  in  Christian  and  philanthropic  work 
were  his  personal  friends.  It  ccnild  not  well  be  other- 
wise for  not  only  did  he  deal  generously  with  them,  but 
his  close  and  continued  interest  in  their  work,  and  in 
the  young  men  for  whom  they  were  working,  com- 
manded their  respect,  their  appreciation,  and  their 
loyal  response  to  his  friendship. 

Doubtless  some  of  Mr.  Stokes's  friends,  not  those, 
however,  who  were  associated  with  him  in  Christian 
work,  thought  tliat  he  was  sinking  his  money  in  unprof- 
itable investments.  But  he  had  taken  counsel  with 
the  great  Authority  on  friendship  and  used  his  money 
to  ^'make  friends,"  so  that  when  it  and  the  things  for 
which  less  careful  investors  generally  spend  it,  failed, 
as  fail  they  must,  the  friends  whom  he  had  made  his 
own  forever  might  receive  him  *'into  the  everlasting 
habitations." 


152  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

At  the  unveiling  of  the  bust  of  Sir  George  Williams, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  the  building  of  the 
International  Committee  in  New  York  City,  Mr.  Stokes 
commended  in  the  founder  of  the  Association  the  prin- 
ciples by  which  his  own  life  was  guided,  when  he  said : 

"When  we  think  of  the  life  work  of  our  beloved 
founder,  let  us  remember  that:  (1)  No  increase  in 
money  power,  no  conferring  upon  him  of  distinguished 
titles,  no  growth  of  worldly  fame,  spoiled  his  spirit. 
(2)  He  avoided  all  ostentation  both  personally  and 
in  all  his  official  relations.  (3)  No  one  has  ever  asso- 
ciated with  the  practices  and  spirit  of  our  founder  any 
underhandedness  or  political  maneuvering.  (4)  With 
the  unprecedented  multiplication  of  buildings,  and 
with  the  growth  in  the  wealth  of  our  movement,  the 
danger  is  that  we  will  lean  upon  these  materials,  rather 
than  upon  the  living  God.  (5)  Like  him  we  should 
abound  with  the  spirit  of  evangelism.  No  man  can 
think  of  Sir  George  withcmt  thinking  of  him  as  seeking 
to  bring  others  to  Christ.  (G)  Each  secretary  should 
be  the  guide  and  trainer  of  other  men,  keeping  himself 
in  the  background.  (7)  Worthy  was  Sir  George  to 
be  the  founder  and  head  of  our  world-wide  movement 
for,  through  all  the  period  of  his  life,  he  had  a  consum- 
ing desire  to  see  its  helpful  ministry  extended  to  the 
young  men  of  every  na.tion.  (8)  The  Associations 
should  have  their  work  supervised  and  controlled  by 
the  votes  of  those  only  who  are  positive  and  aggressive 
Christians,  those  who  think  enough  of  their  religion  to 
be  enrolled  as  members  of  tlie  evangelical,  Protestant 
churches.  (9)  His  ways  of  business  were  careful  and 
methodical  and  a  pattern  to  us  in  safeguarding  by  all 
modern  means  our  funds.  (10)  To  copy  the  words  of 
Mr.  Farwell  at  the  Chicago  Jubilee,  'We  may  raise 
many  dollars,  we  may  build  many  buildings,  but  we 
must  never  fail  to  remember  that  our  supreme  work  is 
to  touch  the  hearts  and  minds  of  young  men,  that  they 
may  dedicate  to  God's  service  whatever  wealth,  power, 
and  ability  He  may  give  them.'     It  remains  for  the 


Sir  John  ('(ii>[>ii;k'.-^  Ciki.ai  I'aimi.ni.  uv  Sir  CiKuRi.K  Wilua.ms 
Presented  in  London  to  the  "Purent"  Assoeiation  by  Mr.  Stokes 
and  unveiled  by  Kinfi  George.  In  the  <rrouii  with  the  King  are 
(Jueen  Mary,  the  Prinee  of  Wales,  and  .1.  J.  \'irgo,  then  Cieneral 
Secretary,  London. 


( ;  U 1 1 )  I  NO   1  'K I NC 1  PLlOvS  1 5.1 

younj;ei'  luoii  wlio  come  alter  us  to  inaiutaiii  tiiese 
standards  set  by  Sir  George  Williams,  if  they  would 
maintain  the  existence  of  the  Association." 

The  following  extracts  from  a  few  of  many  letters 
of  Mr.  Stokes  to  young  French  and  Italian  secretaries 
are  revealing  of  the  man.  They  are  typical  of  a  corre- 
spondence covering  years  of  patient  cooperation,  in 
which  Mr.  Stokes  gave  freely  of  himself  as  well  as  of 
his  substance. 

"For  a  long  time  I  have  feared  that  many  members 
of  the  Board  did  not  appreciate  a  certain  necessary 
part  of  the  work,  that  is,  putting  the  young  men  to 
work  ou  committees,  making  them  chairmen  of  the 
various  committees,  and  holding  them  responsible  for 
wh;it  was  done.  It  is  this  sense  of  individual  responsi- 
bility which  makes  a  good  Association  man  love  tlie 
society  and  become  an  excellent  self-relying  citizen. 
In  this  respect  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
can  do  a  great  moral  work  for  the  citizenship  of  France, 
though,  of  course,  it  cannot  enter  into  politics  in  any 
manner,  shape,  or  form.  I  have  not  j'our  statistics  at 
hand,  but  I  shall  look  with  interest  to  see  how  many 
y(uing  men  are  on  the  committees,  and  who  are  their 
chairmen,  and  what  they  perform.  It  will  never  do  to 
appoint  these  men  chairmen  of  the  committees  and 
then  to  keep  them  like  little  children  with  no  responsi- 
bility. The}'  must  be  trusted,  and  kindly  guided  only 
wlien  necessary.  If  the  Board,  through  its  secretary, 
refuses  to  trust  them,  then  they  must  not  be  aston- 
ished if  the  young  men  refuse  to  trust  the  Board  and 
the  Secretary." 

"There  is  still  the  idea  existing  in  some  places  that 
any  good  yonng  man  or  aged  minister  will  make  a  good 
secretary.  We  found  out  nearly  twenty-five  years  ago 
this  would  not  do.  The  secretaries  must  be  specially 
trained. 

"There  is  also  the  idea  that  a  secretary,  being  paid, 


154  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

should  give  more  or  less  every  moment  of  his  time  to 
the  Association.  This  will  kill  any  man  morally  and 
physically.  He  must  have  time  for  physical  exercise 
and  take  it.  He  must  have  time  to  read  and  improve 
his  mind  or  his  mind  will  decay.  His  mind  must  have 
time  to  plan  out  his  work  for  the  Association  also. 

"The  European  secretary  is  sometinu^s  considered  as 
the  man  who  must  attend  to  every  detail  and  must 
keep  all  the  books  and  minutia?  with  his  own  hands. 
This  will  ruin  a  man  as  a  true  secretary.  The  secretary 
should  be  the  leading  spirit,  he  should  lead  and  guide 
every  one,  subject,  of  course,  to  the  guidance  of  the 
Board.  But  he  must  be  a  man  of  such  tact  that  he 
will  keep  himself  in  the  background  and  i)usli  forward 
all  the  others.  If  he  does  all  the  work  in  detail  he  will 
ruin  himself  for  his  position  and  wear  himself  out. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  flatter  you  and  I  do  not  wish  to 
injure  you.  But  I  feel  the  destinies,  under  (Jod,  so  far 
as  Christian  Italian  young  men  are  concerned,  are 
largely  in  your  hands;  see  to  it  that  you  are  true  to 
your  mission." 

"A  letter  from  one  of  your  relatives  expressed  great 
pleasure  that  you  were  to  take  up  athletic  work  in  con- 
nection with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in 
France,  as  he  thought  you  were  so  well  adapted  to  it. 
.  .  .  Y(m  see,  it  is  f)ne  essential  for  this  work  that  a 
man  should  be  consecrated  in  love  for  young  men,  also 
in  his  love  for  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  best  friend  a 
young  man  can  have  in  tliis  world  or  the  world  to  come. 
AVe  say  in  America  to  be  an  active  member  one  must 
be  a  mend)er  of  a  Protestant  evangelical  church,  but 
you  and  I  must  know  that  mere  membershi])  in  the 
Churcli  does  not  make  a  Christian  of  a  man  who  has 
not  consecrated  his  love  and  heart  to  Christ.  Prayer 
on  your  part  and  communion  and  conference  with  those 
who  are  engaged  in  this  work  will  aid  you  greatly. 
You  know  that  it  is  essential  for  a  gymnastic  instructor 
to  become  a  consecrated  man,  and  this  I  hope  and  trust 
you  will  become." 


XIII 
A    PASSION    FOR    HELPING    FOLKS 

The  chief  impression  which  the  World's  Coul'ereuce 
at  Paris  in  1905  left  upon  our  minds  resulted  from  the 
overllowinij;  expressions  of  three  conspicuous  Associa- 
tion leaders  of  the  day.  First,  the  patriarchal  Sir 
George  AVilliams,  who  was  borne  into  the  gathering 
seated  in  a  chair,  pulled  himself  together  and  poured 
out  these  words — his  last  message  and  the  echo  of  the 
torrential  passion  of  his  soul  for  more  than  sixty 
years:  "Young  men,  I  commit  unto  you  as  my  last 
legacy — and  it  is  a  most  precious  one — the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  I  leave  it  to  you  to  carry 
on  and  extend.  It  will  be  a  blessed  thing  for  your 
own  souls  and  for  j'our  countries." 

The  second  impression  was  from  the  prayer  of  Prince 
Bernadotte,  president  of  the  Swedish  Associations,  a 
petition  for  the  young  men  of  the  world.  The  third  was 
the  sympathetic  prayer  of  James  Stokes  at  the  me- 
morial meeting  for  I'aul  Theis,  late  secretary  of  the 
Paris  Association — a  man  selected,  educated,  and 
trained  in  the  Siiriugtield  Training  School  and  sup- 
ported by  Mr.  Stokes  for  ten  years  in  work  for  the 
young  men  of  the  gay,  glorious,  and  thoughtless  capi- 
tal. It  was  the  spontaneous  outburst,  as  well  as  the 
revelation  of  the  controlling  passion  of  his  life,  the 
heartbre;ik  and  burden  of  his  soul  and  the  echo  of  a 
thousand  prayers.  The  prayer  ended  with  a  tender 
petition  for  tlie  young  wife  and  little  family — but  it 
had  been  preceded  by  a  personal  visit  and  a  liberal 

155 


156  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

check.  The  concern  of  these  organization  bnihlers  was 
more  for  men  than  for  movements.  These  utterances 
sprang  from  their  souls  and  revealed  the  springs  which 
fed  the  outgoing  floods  sustaining  their  worlis. 

Mr.  Stokes  had  a  passion  for  helping  folks.  One  who 
had  been  closest  to  him  declared :  "I  never  knew  a  man 
who  was  so  hungry  for  friendship  or  so  eager  to  help 
men  in  difficulty.  He  fairly  fussed  about  the  equipment 
and  the  comfort  of  every  secretary  he  sent  out."  If 
one  of  his  men  was  ill  or  broken  from  overwork,  he 
insisted  that  he  should  have  the  best  medical  care  and 
prolonged  rest  and  recuperation,  and  made  j)rovision 
for  it  in  liberal  fashion. 

"Let  me  know  of  any  men  in  difficulty  who  are  sick 
or  in  need  of  a  vacation.  Let  me  help  them,"  he  tele- 
plioiied  Mr.  Jenkins,  the  secretary  who  was  in  a  posi- 
tion to  know  the  circumstances  of  the  force  of  foreign 
and  home  men.  And  by  the  first  mail,  or  a  messenger, 
would  come  a  check  with  this  invariable  message, 
"Don't  let  them  thank  me."    Mr.  Jenkins  writes : 

"He  was  ever  thoiightful  of  otliers'  comfort  and  es- 
pecially he  foresaw  what  they  might  need.  His  wide 
experience  in  travel  gave  him  many  sidelights  on  liu- 
man  nature  aud  its  needs  under  novel  conditions.  For 
example,  1  well  remember  his  insistence  upon  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  liglit  felt  hat  in  traveling  in  Palestine  in 
early  spring  and  he  pressed  upon  me  a  Turkisli  pound 
to  equip  myself,  knowing  that  I  would  not  follow  his 
wise  counsel  unless  he  backed  his  judgment. 

"On  another  occasion,  one  of  our  men  had  a  very 
sick  child  aud  tlie  local  physician  was  evidently  not 
diagnosing  the  malady  accurately.  i\Ir.  Stokes  had  the 
wisdom  to  send  a  specialist  of  metropolitan  reputation 
to  the  suburb  to  add  his  skill.  The  child  got  well 
rapidly. 

"When  Hans  Andersen  was  so  ill,  it  was  Mr.  Stokes 


A  PASSION  FOR  UI-ILPINO  FOLKS         157 

who  insisted  that  every  modern  faeility  be  placed  at 
his  disposal.  He  paid  most  of  the  hospital  charges. 
He  saw  tliat  all  was  not  going  well  and  urged  that  Dr. 
Allan  Starr  be  ct)nsulte<l.  Dr.  Starr  was  the  lirst  to 
diagnose  Andersen's  disease  correctly.  I  had  quite 
intimate  knowledge  of  his  relations  to  Andersen  and 
I  cannot  speak  too  highly  of  his  foresight  and  delicacy 
of  feeling,  as  well  as  of  his  kindness  and  generosity." 

It  was  not  until  that  ''shower"  of  letters  reached  Mr. 
Stokes  on  his  seventy-sixth  birthday — referred  to  in 
another  chapter — that  he  learned  of  the  help  that  his 
check,  '"like  a  gift  from  heaven,"  brought  to  this  man 
in  dire  distress.  It  was  the  first  opportunity  that  the 
secretary  had  had  given  him  to  voice  his  gratitude. 

"You  ma}'  not  remember  me,  for  I  have  never  talked 
with  you  except  over  the  telephone,  but  I  shall  never 
be  able  to  forget  your  helpfulness  to  me,  and  I  must 
claim  the  right  this  once  to  express  my  thanksgiving. 

"After  the  trip  to  Asia  with  Dr.  Mott  in  1912-13  I 
came  back  to  get  acquainted  with  a  baby  girl  born  in 
my  absence.  A  few  days  after  mj*  return  she  left  us 
after  a  few  hours'  illness.  Two  weeks  later  my  only 
son  came  down  with  meningitis,  involving  a  fight  for 
health  lasting  through  months.  Then  a  little  later 
came  scarlet  fever,  involving  my  oldest  daughter.  With 
hospital  expenses  for  him  and  extra  expenses  at  home 
totaling  much  beyond  my  income,  there  was  nothing 
left  to  do  but  to  pray,  'Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread.'  This  my  good  wife  and  I  did — with  genuine 
feeling.  The  day  came  when  I  could  leave  the  house 
and  I  started  for  the  office  not  knowing  just  where  to 
turn  for  the  financial  relief  that  must  be  sought.  My 
heart  was  heavy,  and  the  road  seemed  uncertain.  When 
I  reached  the  railroad  station  an  acquaintance  re- 
nuirked  to  me  that  some  burdens  and  some  strains 
should  be  distributed.  And  he  handed  me  a  check  for 
a  substantial  amount.  I  thanked  the  Good  Father 
before  1  looked  at  the  check.    When  I  reached  the  office 


ir)8      JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

Jenkins  phoned  me  that  a  day  or  two  before  he  had 
seen  you,  you  had  in(iuired  whether  any  of  the  men 
were  hard  beset,  he  had  told  you  of  our  case,  and  you 
had  handed  him  a  check  for  |100  to  be  given  to  me — 
with  the  stipulation  that  1  was  not  to  thank  you  for  it. 

''That  check  for  |10()  did  a  full  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  work  as  money.  It  did  a  far  greater  piece  of 
work  in  steadying  courage  and  lifting  faith. 

"But  never  since  I  have  been  committed  to  Christian 
work,  now  more  than  twenty-five  years,  has  there  ever 
been  an  hour  when  the  outreach  of  a  hand  of  helpful- 
ness could  have  been  more  like  the  outreach  of  the 
hand  of  the  Father  Himself  than  that  morning  when 
your  check  was  waiting  for  me  in  New  York.  It  was 
the  Father's  gift  to  us. 

"Yon  have  helped  to  distribute  many  strains — by 
taking  part  of  the  load." 

It  does  not  appear  to  whom  the  following  letter  was 
written,  but  helping  this  poor  boy,  sick  and  in  dire 
need,  may  have  been  the  suggestion  which  led  him  to 
set  aside  |50,000  in  his  will  to  provide  vacations  in  the 
country  for  struggling  young  men : 

"You  remember  our  talk  about  a  poor  woman  and 
her  son.  Well,  we  got  that  boy  otT  to  the  country  and 
I  hope  saved  his  life  with  a  little  fresh  air.  I  saw  an- 
other rich  friend  beside  you  and  he  promised  to  aid  in 
starting  a  fresh  air  fund  for  sick  young  men,  to  be 
used  specially  by  young  men  recouimended  by  our 
Associations.  I  have  seen  Rev.  Mr.  Persons  who  man- 
ages so  well  the  Errtiing  Post  Fresh  Air  Fund.  He 
will  board  at  |2.2r>  or  12.50  per  week  (as  members  of 
the  family)  in  the  country,  young  men  who  may  be 
sent  out." 

He  loved  to  help  a  fellow  worth  helping.  In  sending 
a  young  man  needing  work  to  Mr.  Warburton,  of  the 
New  York  Railroad  Association,  he  wrote: 


A  PASSION  I'^oK  in:iJMN(j  roi.Ks       ir.i) 

''I  am  sending  you  the  hearer,  ills  lather  was  an 
honest  and  faithful  workman  of  mine  for  nuiny  years 
and  served  his  time  on  tlie  \'olunteer  Fire  Department, 
where  he  received  an  injury  which  cripphid  him  for 
life  and  has  now  laid  him  aside.  He  was  one  of  the 
old-fashioned  fellows  that  you  read  about,  an  honest 
man  of  the  middle  class.  His  boy  wishes  to  help  sup- 
port the  father  and,  from  our  Bible  visitor,  I  hear  a 
fine  report  of  him  as  being  like  his  father.  He  is  re- 
ported as  being  a  quiet,  stay-at-home  boy,  favorably 
known  to  all  the  neigId)ors.  This  is  the  kind  of  a  young 
man  for  railroad  biisincss. 

''May  1  ask  you  to  interest  yourself  in  his  behalf,  and 
T  think  anyone  proposing  to  employ  him  will  be  able 
to  check  off  his  record  in  a  favorable  manner." 

A  touch  of  humor  as  he  pays  "■'^10  a  pound  i)remium" 
on  a  baby  born  to  his  friend  Bichsel,  secretary  of  the 
French  Branch,  New  York : 

"I  congratulate  you  and  your  good  wife  upon  the 
birth  of  Elizabeth. 

"As  T  am  in  the  habit  of  paying  about  |10  a  pound 
for  nice  babies,  and  as  I  imagine  she  weighs  five  pounds 
I  enclose  you  a  check  for  .150,  bnt  this  must  not  serve 
as  any  encouragement  to  send  me  such  cards  too  often. 

'"With  best  wishes  for  your  wife  and  the  baby,  and 
also  for  yourself." 

In  writing  of  a  young  Frenchman  alone  in  a  New 
York  hospital,  who  had  his  foot  amputated,  Mr.  Bich- 
sel reports: 

"The  money  which  you  so  kindly  left  for  him  will 
be  used  in  securing  an  artificial  limb,  thus  enabling  him 
to  go  about  and  earn  his  living.  Let  me  thank  you 
again  on  his  behalf." 

We  find  a  letter  from  Mr.  Orne  in  1892  in  which  he 
acknowledges  Mr.  Stokes's  help  in  providing  a  nurse 


160  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

for  their  bookkeeper,  a  simple  retiring  man  who  had 
just  returned  to  the  office  after  three  months'  sickness 
and  convalescence,  and  another  from  a  student  secre- 
tary who  writes  him  in  gratitude,  on  learning  acci- 
dentally that  it  was  Mr.  Stokes  who  had  provided 
the  funds  to  send  him  to  the  country  for  recuperation. 

When  an  International  secretary  was  stricken  with 
fever  the  first  proffer  of  aid  to  his  wife  was  not  from 
his  associates,  but  from  Mr.  Stokes,  together  with  a 
generous  check  to  provide  for  "some  little  extras,"  and 
after  a  siege  of  sickness  lasting  two  months  he  insisted 
on  paying  the  considerable  bill  of  the  physician — add- 
ing the  invariable  word,  "Don't  let  him  thank  me." 

From  a  friendly  letter  written  to  Sir  George  Wil- 
liams on  the  occasion  of  the  Diamond  Jubilee  in  1904 
these  sentences  revealing  his  labors  are  taken  : 

"How  vast  is  our  great  enterprise  in  its  reach !  How 
complete  its  accomplisliments!  One  night  I  have  a 
session  with  one  of  our  leading  secretaries  with  a 
mighty  plan  for  reaching  into  China ;  the  next  is  a  call 
from  one  of  our  Jai)anese  secretaries  regarding  the 
groat  W'Ork  in  Japan;  the  next  an  appeal  from  South 
America ;  today  I  am  expecting  the  secretary  from 
Rome;  next  month  my  secretary  from  St.  Petersburg; 
and  some  time  this  month,  a  brother  of  Paul  Theis  of 
Paris,  who  was  educated  in  our  secretary  school,  and 
who  has  been  doing  good  service  in  Shanghai,  and  so  it 
goes.  Almost  every  moment  of  my  time  is  taken  up 
by  some  phase  of  our  Association  problem. 

"I  am  rebuilding  a  large  house,  which  we  bought 
for  the  French  Branch  of  our  New  York  Association, 
and  as  all  educated  young  men  in  Europe,  especially 
on  the  continent,  are  supposed  to  speak  French,  this 
will  serve  as  a  depot  for  all  the  vast  Association  work 
which  Providence  has  called  me  to  undertake  in 
Europe.  At  the  last  convention  of  the  students  of  the 
Latin  race,  held  at  Rome,  it  was  a  delightful  experience 


A  I'ASSION  FOK  lli:Lri.\G  FOLKS         IGl 

for  the  young  men  of  Italy,  France,  Spain,  and  Portu- 
gal to  lind  that  they  all  could  speak  a  language  under- 
stood by  each.  You  may  have  heard  that  there  were 
some  two  hundred  delegates  present  on  that  occasion, 
and  this  marks  the  beginning  of  a  new  and  great  era 
for  the  Latin  races.  Let  them  but  get  the  Gospel ! 
Let  them  hear  it  through  the  practical  work  of  he 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association ;  and  the  results 
will  abundantly  justify  our  expectations. 

"Thank  God,  our  large  work  is  amongst  the  middle 
class,  which  is  always  the  great  stronghold  of  a  vigor- 
ous nation.  We  can  point  to  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  young  men  that  have  been  brought  to  know  Christ 
by  means  of  this  organization,  and  so,  my  dear  friend, 
3'ou  have  much  to  congratulate  yourself  on,  as  a  father 
and  patron  of  this  Association,  in  its  tremendous  ac- 
complishments. What  joy  and  what  peace  this  must 
bring  to  you ! 

"I  do  not  forget  the  last  night  when  I  bade  you  'Good- 
by,'  and  it  is  possible  that,  this  being  my  year  for 
going  abroad,  I  may  meet  you  during  the  coming  sea- 
son, take  you  by  your  hand,  and  look  into  your  dear 
face  again.  God  bless  and  keep  you  many,  many  years, 
my  dear  friend,  is  my  prayer,  and  the  prayer  of  all 
your  children  in  this  great  and  growing  land." 

The  reply  from  Sir  George  Williams  contained  the 
following : 

"How  can  I  adequately  thank  you  for  the  beautiful 
letter,  just  received  I 

"I  have  been  endeavoring  to  realize  in  some  small 
measure  the  great  goodnes  of  our  Heavenly  Father  in 
permitting  me  to  see  the  wonderful  progress,  and  ex- 
tension, of  our  beloved  Association  throughout  the 
world.  But  I  cannot.  At  the  same  time  my  heart  is 
])rofoundly  thankful  to  Him  for  all  His  mercies.  'Bless 
tlie  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless 
his  holy  name.' 

'"The  account  you   give  me,  in  your  letter,  of  the 


162  JAMES  STOKES— nOXEER 

foreign  work  going  on  nndor  yonr  hands,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Young  Men's  Cliristian  Associations  in 
Jai)an,  China,  etc.,  is  deeply  interesting,  and  indicates 
vast  possibilities  of  usefulness  and  blessing,  still  to 
be  realized." 

A  reminiscence  of  "Dear  Moody" : 

''The  first  extended  conversation  I  recall  with  Mr. 
Moody  was  after  the  Convention  at  Albany  where  I 
had  been  engaged  with  others  in  the  founding  of  the 
International  Couiniittee. 

"We  were  coming  down  on  the  day  boat  from  Albany, 
but  almost  when  we  first  met  he  turned  to  me  and 
said:  'Stokes,  my  heart  is  drawn  out  toward  you.'  In 
his  old  Yankee  honjespun  language  he  expressed  the 
thought  of  his  life  and  of  all  his  life's  work.  That 
was  the  secret  of  his  success,  his  love  for  (Jod  and  his 
love  for  man.  1  remend)er  how  he  helped  our  Associa- 
tion work  years  afterwards.  He  helpe(l  the  Association 
because  he  came  to  know  an<l  love  it.  I  think  he  was 
a  little  suspicious  of  us  at  first,  thinking  we  were  not 
quite  as  evangelistic  as  he  wished  his  work  to  be.  I 
remember  when  in  California  I  made  preliminary  ar- 
rangements, through  Mr.  Cree  I  think  it  was,  for  Mr. 
Moody's  great  tour  of  the  western  coast,  which  did  so 
much  to  settle  the  evangelistic  standing,  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time,  of  the  Associations  of  that  important  section. 
This  was  a  magnificent  tour  of  his.  He  not  only  re- 
vived the  Association,  which  I  found  was  almost  worse 
than  dead,  and  put  it  in  a  new  building,  but  he  revived 
and  comforted  the  hearts  of  many  a  man  who  dated 
his  life's  happiness  from  Moody's  visit. 

"I  remember  the  great  evangelistic  meetings  which 
Moody  conducted  at  the  Madison  Square  Garden.  I 
used  to  go  in  and  play  for  him  on  the  organ  at  various 
sessions.  Mr.  Moody  used  frequently  to  take  his  meals 
at  our  house  and  it  was  one  of  these  times  that  he  met 
Mr.  Henry  J.  McCoy  and  made  an  engagenu»nt  for  him 
to  go  to  California,  where  his  services  have  been  so 
long  and  so  fruitfully  blessed. 


A  J'ASSION  R)K  iii:i>i'iN(;   roLKS        it;:5 

"I  ronioniber  M<»<)<ly'.s  positive  action  about  matteis 
which  he  considered  essential.  1  recall  his  treatment 
of  inquirers  who  he  thou<;ht  wt^re  not  (piite  sincere. 
He  was  si)eaUing  in  the  theater  on  liioadway  just 
below  1'1'nd  Street  one  nij^lit  when  1  was  there  and 
after  the  met  ting  a  man  came  up  to  the  stage  to  speak 
to  Mr.  Moody.  The  man  was  slightly  under  the  inliu- 
ence  of  licpior.  Moody  noticed  tliis  at  once  and  imme- 
diately said,  '1  have  uo  time  to  speak  to  you.  You  are 
not  down  low  enough,  get  down  lower  and  when  you 
are  down  low  enough  you  may  cry  for  mercy,'  or  words 
to  that  etlect. 

"I  remember  he  once  told  me  he  was  afraid  to  be 
educated  for  fear  the  Spirit  would  leave  bim.  We  have 
seen  in  Association  circles  that  the  mind  can  be  edu- 
cated at  some  of  our  religious  schools  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  drives  out  the  simple  story  of  Christ  and  His 
salvation.-' 

From  the  days  of  his  boyhood  he  was  a  music  lover, 
singing  and  playing  the  rich  hymns  of  religious  faith 
with  both  power  and  feeling.  He  had  played  at  the  eve- 
ning prayers  in  the  early  days  with  McBurney,  and 
with  Moody  and  Sankey  in  their  inquiry  meetings  in 
New  York,  and  was  ever  alert  for  an  idea  to  pass  along 
for  evangelizing  by  song.  This  is  from  a  letter  written 
the  Buli'alo  Convention: 

"As  to  Sabbath  breaking,  we  have  already  introduced 
what  is  called  'Pleasant  Sunday,'  abroad,  only  we  have 
amended  it  somewhat.  For  years,  you  will  remember, 
I  tried  to  introduce  social  singing  Sunday  evenings  in 
our  hotels,  as  I  used  to  practice  it  years  ago.  A  hotel 
chaplaincy  has  been  started  recently  in  New  York,  and 
I  think  it  has  taken  up  this  snbject.  Why  could  not 
our  Young  ]Men's  Christian  Association  in  a  great  meas- 
ure substitute  this  singing  (which  must  be  of  a  fine 
character)  for  the  so-called  sacred  concerts? 

"The  hotel  where  I  am  writing  from  has  long  been 


164  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

known  as  a  fasliionable  resort,  and  I  hesitated  to  try 
as  to  introducing  the  service  here,  but  last  night,  being 
prompted  by  others,  we  succeeded  in  having  a  Sunday 
service,  connected  with  the  Sunday  concert.  A  nunil)er 
of  people  came  up  to  accord  their  thanks,  which  were 
grateful.    Now,  this  opens  up  a  most  interesting  field." 

Mr.  Stokes  would  not  be  "bled."  Ready  to  aid  to 
the  limit  when  the  appeal  was  right,  he  exercised  dis- 
crimination and  judgment  and  the  privilege  of  frank- 
ness. The  calls  for  money  had  come  to  him  so  thick  and 
fast  while  he  was  carrying  the  Paris  and  St.  Peters- 
burg work  and  buildings  that  he  wrote,  in  response  to 
an  appeal  for  |100  which  he  felt  was  "a  little  too 
much" : 

"You  ask  me  for  'only  one  hundred  dollars.'  It  is 
not  much,  and  you  ask  it  in  your  usual  eloquent  and 
persuasive  manner.  I  guaranteed  |25,000  toward  the 
French  Branch.  My  secretary  tells  me  it  is  over 
145,000  already.  I  am  liable  to  be  called  upon  to  fulfil 
my  i)romise  to  the  St.  Petersburg  Branch,  from  where 
the  plans  of  buildings  are  being  sent  me  now.  I  am 
called  upon  constantly  for  personal  matters,  and  as 
constantly  for  little  Association  matters.     There  are 

the  support  and  burial  of  poor  F ,  wliose  mother 

would  like  me  to  support  her  for  life.  Poor  Tlieis  is 
broken  down  in  health.  I  fear  there  has  boon  some 
bad  treatment  of  him,  and  I  am  sending  him  something. 
The  Roman  secretary  has  not  been  paid  the  proper 
salary,  and  I  am  writing  about  that. 

''Now  I  have  not  given  money  to  have  my  name  put 
down  on  the  list,  in  fact,  the  putting  of  your  name  on 
a  list  subjects  you  to  criticism,  and  further  demands, 
because  you  have  not  done  more  or  done  something  for 
what  other  people  believe  it  is  your  duty  to  do. 

"I  must  not  forget  P ,  whom  j^ou  secured  for 

me  at  considerable  expense.  I  know  the  burden  of 
expense  and  anxiety  that  you  have  at  this  time;  but  I 


A  i'ASSlON  FOR  llKLl'IXCJ  FOLKS         105 

know  in  ;i  imnihor  of  cases  that  when  you  secretaries 
jjjet  alter  a  i)ers()ii  wlio  has  done  something  for  you, 
you  are  tempted  to  bleed  him  to  death.  I  know  what 
1  am  talking  about. 

"Now,  my  dear  friend,  you  see  the  situation,  and  you 
know  tliat  no  man  can  be  expected  to  answer  to  all  the 
demands  made  upon  him,  and  that  1  must  choose  what 
I  think  (Jod  calls  me  to  do.  How  much  I  should  like  to 
answer  the  requests  of  all  my  brethren  !" 

To  Dr.  ]Mott  he  wrote  with  reference  to  the  satisfac- 
tion he  had  in  being  able  to  give — indeed,  at  one  time 
the  salary  list  of  Association  secretaries  paid  directly 
from  his  oflice  exceeded  .*^20,000  annually  : 

"By  tomorrow  I  will  have  sent  over  five  people,  and 
within  a  month  I  hope  to  send  three  more,  and  this  is 
only  a  beginning,  and  you  know  what  the  expenses  are 
in  these  times  and  that  I  must  keep  a  fund  constantly 
on  hand  for  any  emergency  that  may  arise  for  them 
over  there.  And  you  know  I  am  sending  to  the  Geneva 
Committee,  or  directly  to  France,  Italy,  and  England 
all  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  line  or  in  the  behalf  of  the  sol- 
diers and  prisoners.  I  rejoice  to  feel  that  I  have  had  a 
portion  in  the  great  work." 

Of  the  influence  of  a  Christian  physical  director 
trained  for  his  work,  consecrated  to  it,  and  ''playing 
the  game"  in  loyal  team  work  with  his  associates,  he 
had  this  to  say : 

''The  demand  for  a  director  of  physical  exercises  and 
development  in  the  Paris  Association  is  very  great. 
We  feel  that  the  presence  of  a  physical  director  will 
push  our  work  forward  greatly  and  prove  a  great 
means  of  attraction  to  Paris  young  men. 

"Young  Frenchmen  are  like  young  men  in  general 
all  the  world  over  in  this,  that  they  judge  of  the  gen- 
uineness of  one's  Christianity'  far  more  by  one's  daily 
conduct,  by  one's  actions  and  manner,  than  by  one's 


IGO  JAaiES  STOKES— PIONEER 

words.  But  if  any  one  speaks  to  them  of  Christ  and 
his  words  are  backed  up  by  genuine  Christian  living, 
the  word  then  has  power  to  touch  them  and  to  change 
their  hearts,  Mr.  Theis,  the  general  secretary,  is  a  fine 
man  every  way.  1  have  watched  his  development  dur- 
ing the  last  six  years  with  tlie  greatest  interest  and 
find  him  admirably  qualified  for  his  work.  You  will 
find  in  him  a  warmhearted  Christian  friend  and  helper. 
He  loves  young  men  deeply  and  does  not  hesitate  to 
sacrifice  himself  to  tlieir  welfare,  and  you  will,  I  am 
sure,  be  as  deeply  attached  to  him  as  I  am.  Consult 
him  in  every  way  and  trust  him  fully. 

''The  Paris  Association  was  founded  in  1852  and 
has  a  long  and  honorable  past  although,  of  course, 
nothing  like  its  present  development.  Still,  many  men 
prominent  in  French  Protestantism  today  received 
much  of  their  religious  development  in  its  Bible  meet- 
ings, and  look  back  to  those  times  with  affectionate 
remembrance." 

No  man  could  take  for  granted  and  impose  upon  Mr. 
Stokes's  generosity  and  kindness.  He  expected  a  man 
to  work  on  business  principles  and  produce  results. 
Of  one  of  his  secretaries  he  wrote: 

"The  president  complains  of  carelessness  in  regard 
to  promptness  and  regularity  in  his  office  work;  that 
he  had  begged  him  again  and  again  to  try  and  improve. 
The  secretary  complains  that  I  pitclied  into  him  on  my 
last  visit,  and  T  did  it  pretty  rough,  as  lie  seemed  at 
times  utterly  incapable  of  doing  anything  unless  I  took 
him  by  the  neck  and  shoved  him.  He  completely  ex- 
hausted my  patience  again  and  again,  so  much  so  that 
I  gave  him  up  as  a  hopeless  case  long  before  he  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  leaving." 

To  a  discouraged  student  Mr.  Stokes  gives  a  practi- 
cal, friendly  word,  urging  continued  etfort  and  thor- 
ough preparation: 

"You  must  not  be  discouraged,  nor  must  the  Associa- 


A  r ASSIGN  FOR  HELPING  FOLKS         1G7 

tion  be  disco  urn  god  if  tlie  work  fjoos  slow,  and  if  you 
make  a  great  inauy  mistakes,  and  perliaps  have  to  do 
the  work  all  over.  It  is  a  natural  experience.  No 
man  gets  strong  in  the  gymnasium  without  experience, 
and  no  man  gets  Vv'ise  without  experience;  it  is  the 
same  thing  with  the  Association  work.  Mr.  Bowne  is 
right;  one  year  would  not  do  at  Springfield;  you  need 
two  at  least." 

To  W'hom  this  letter  is  written  does  not  appear.  It 
is  addressed  to  ''My  dear  old  friend,"  and  was  prob- 
ably written  to  McBurney,  who  was  in  a  sanitarium, 
broken  by  overwork. 

"For,  after  all,  the  friends  of  our  youth  come  near- 
est to  us  as  our  years  advance.  I  have  just  heard 
through  Mr.  Cree  of  your  sickness  and  am  much  dis- 
tressed thereby.  I  hear  and  hope  it  is  true  that  you 
are  getting  better  and  soon  will  be  well  again, 

I  have  hoped  that  you  and  I  could  decrease  our  fat 
and  increase  our  years  of  usefulness  like  Mr.  Morse 
by  the  use  of  the  bicycle  in  a  moderate  way,  if  the  doc- 
tors approved. 

I  want  you  to  know  that,  after  the  grand  opening 
of  our  Roman  building,  I  have  come  to  France  for  the 
long  expected  tour  with  Mr.  Sautter.  Today,  at  the 
dejeuner  with  tlie  board  and  council,  your  sickness  was 
mentioned  and  at  once  prayers  were  olfered  up  for  your 
support  and  recovery,  for  the  friend  who,  though  per- 
sonally unknown  to  them,  was  so  well  known  as  a 
friend  of  joung  men  and  who  had  given  his  life  for  the 
work  of  our  Associations.  I  need  not  tell  you,  I  joined 
with  the  full  heart  in  the  prayers  for  him  with  wdiom 
my  earliest  experiences  began  in  this  glorious  labor 
of  love. 

I  have  worked  as  hard  as  I  have  been  capable,  night 
and  day,  and  you  know  w^hat  that  means;  I  have 
broken  down  once  or  twice,  but  it  seems  as  if  I  must 
go  on.  I  am  working  slower  now.  Hut  oh!  what  glori- 
ous results  accomplished  and  in  view,  how  wonderfully 


108  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

has  God  led  me,  opening  doors  from  the  imperial  and 
kingly  courts  to  the  humblest  worker.  My  heart  over- 
flows with  prayers  that  God  could  have  used  me  in 
this  way.  It  makes  my  heart  sore,  however,  to  see  the 
terrible  need  of  the  men  of  Europe.  When  hundi'eds 
are  volunteering  for  service  amongst  the  heathen  whose 
influence  can  just  reach  us,  why  do  not  a  few  volun- 
teer for  the  heathen  in  these  lands  who  are  influencing 
our  country  all  the  time?" 

To  "My  dear  old  friend  Wheat,"  he  wrote,  acknowl- 
edging a  friendly  letter  : 

"How  good  it  was  to  hear  a  word  from  you!  How 
wrong  it  was  for  you  to  come  as  far  as  Philadelphia, 
and  not  come  to  New  York  to  see  the  old  fellows! 
Years  are  going  by — memories  are  beginning  to  grow 
dim — but  there  are  some  men  whom  we  can  never  for- 
get— and  you  are  one  of  them;  and  your  name  calls  up 
thoughts  of  McBurney,  Miller,  McLean,  and  a  host  of 
others  who  have  done  their  work  and  passed  over.  I 
certainly  belong  to  tlie  old  clan  and  I  certainly  believe  in 
the  evangelical  basis,  but  I  am  sometimes  very  anx- 
ious as  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  be- 
coming too  much  an  entertainment  bureau  and  too 
little  a  Christian  efl'ort. 

"I  am  acting  as  a  sort  of  an  unpaid  secretary,  work- 
ing night  and  day  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, so  you  see  it  has  been  near  to  me  all  these 
years,  for  there  are  certain  basic  principles  without 
which  our  Association  cannot  exist. 

"Now,  Wheat,  don't  you  dare  to  come  as  near  to 
New  York  again  without  getting  over  to  see  me.  You 
remember  the  story  of  tlie  man  who  said,  'Don't  you 
ever  come  within  five  miles  of  my  house  without  stop- 
ping.'   I  ask  you  not  to  stop,  but  to  come  in." 

His  fond  memories  of  the  old-time  prayer  meetings 
of  his  youth  are  drawn  upon  in  this  letter,  urging 


A   I'ASSIOX   FOR  JIi:j.riX(l   FOLKS         ICO 

prayer  upon  the  members  of  a  New  York  City  As- 
sociation for  which  he  was  <k;eply  coiicenied,  aii<l  fear- 
ful lest  it  neglect  the  practice  of  prayer  in  its  vigorous 
program : 

"I  inquired  of  one  of  our  Associations  if  they  kept 
up  regular  prayer  meetings,  and  the  secretary,  a  gen- 
tleman whom  I  liave  reason  to  esteem  highly,  told  me 
that  they  did  not  have  general  prayer  meetings;  they 
did  not  approve  of  emotional  religion;  they  had  fam- 
ily prayers  with  tlie  secretaries  each  morning.  I  pre- 
sume with  tlie  small  number  present,  they  could  pre- 
vent it  from  being  too  emoti(mal.  Whilst  we  had  the 
meetings  of  the  secretaries,  this  is  not  the  way  in  which 
the  work  was  conducted  in  olden  times,  when  we 
thought  we  knew  what  was  the  primal  foundation  of 
all  our  work — namely,  an  open  as  well  as  a  secret  invi- 
tation to  any  and  everj'  young  man  to  come  to  Christ. 

"How  well  I  recall  dear  Henry  Webster,  who  died 
for  young  men,  dear  McBurney,  Kev.  Dr.  Marling,  the 
father  of  our  present  efficient  executive,  whose  kindly 
face  was  seen  so  often  at  our  prayer  meetings;  but 
best  of  all  were  the  family  praj^er  meetings  every  night 
for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  and  no  poor,  sin-stricken 
young  man  who  chose  to  come  into  that  room  could  go 
away  without  an  invitation  to  come  to  Christ,  and  to 
come  then  and  there  and  take  tlie  hand  of  some  brother 
who  was  watching  for  just  such  young  men  who  might 
stand  up,  and  would  help  to  lead  him  to  the  Saviour. 

"I  understand  we  are  doing  it  in  a  much  more  ethical 
and  highly  cultured  way  just  now.  Is  it  as  successful, 
nn-  dear  brethren?  Are  we  doing  our  duty?  It  is  not 
tlie  way  my  dear  old  friend  George  Williams  went  to 
work  when  he  founded  the  Associations.  He  tried  to 
keep  the  young  men  with  whom  he  was  associated  in 
business  from  drink  and  immorality,  but  he  waylaid 
them  as  they  came  out  of  their  rooms  to  bring  them  to 
Christ.  First  and  foremost  and  all  the  time  lie  must 
bring  them  to  Christ.  He  believed  that  the  blood  of 
Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin." 


170  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

To  Mrs.  Jesup,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  her 
husband's  memorial,  he  wrote: 

*'I  am  deeply  touched  by  your  husband's  memorial 
which  you  have  kindly  sent  me.  I  have  come  to  that 
age  where  the  old  friends  are  the  best  and  the  dearest. 
Your  book  recalls  many  sad,  though  mostly  pleasant 
memories.  As  I  leave  for  Egj^pt  tonight,  I  have  not 
had  time  to  read  the  book  through. 

''My  life  work  and  I  may  say  my  greatest  educator 
has  been  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  .  .  . 
I  remember  our  consultations  about  your  husband  as 
president  of  the  New  York  Association.  "We  wanted 
him  because  we  thought  he  was  a  straightforward  man, 
said  what  he  meant,  and  did  what  he  said — we  could 
depend  upon  him.  After  he  came  I  remember  our  con- 
fidential talks  together  and  the  kindly  and  affectionate 
way  in  which  he  treated  me. 

"I  have  not  given  up  my  interest  in  Association  work 
and  I  go  abroad  now  for  a  rest  in  Egypt  and  mean- 
while to  see  about  two  or  three  new  buildings  in 
Europe." 

His  letters  of  sympathy  were  as  genuine  as  himself. 
This  one  was  written  to  one  of  the  early  secretaries 
who  had  lost  his  young  wife : 

"I  have  been  so  shocked  and  pained  by  your  great 
and  sudden  sorrow  that  I  have  hardly  known  how  or 
what  to  say  to  you. 

''When  I  first  heard  at  New  Haven  through  Mr. 
Morse  of  your  wife's  severe  illness,  I  asked  liim  to  let 
me  know  if  I  could  be  of  any  service.  He  said  she  was 
better  then  and  it  was  not  till  I  had  returned  from  the 
country  that  I  got  word  of  her  alarming  illness.  I  came 
at  once  to  his  house  to  consult  about  physicians,  etc., 
as  also  thereafter.  It  will  ever  be  my  painful  regret 
that  best  wishes  were  all  I  was  permitted  to  do  for 
you  or  her.  Few  words,  even  those  of  heartfelt  sym- 
pathy, can  be  of  any  relief.     At  such  a  time  one  is 


A  PASSION  FOR  HELPING  FOLKS         171 

brought  ii«2;lit  into  the  presence  of  his  Maker,  and  it 
seems  as  if  men  ought  to  he  stilL  It  may  be  pleasant 
for  you  to  remember  how  many  are  thinking  of  you 
and  praying  for  you,  still  better  to  know  that  a  Heav- 
enly Parent  thinks  of  you  and  cares  for  you  in  your 
loneliness  and  sorrow. 

"With  deepest  sympathy  from  my  wife  and  myself, 


A  letter  to  Robert  "Weidensall  written  in  1890.  He 
knew  how  to  say  a  good  word  to  a  man  and  say  it  truly : 

''It  is  always  an  encouragement  to  know  we  have 
done  a  good  work  or  encouraged  somebody  in  doing  it. 
I  have  just  returned  from  the  South,  and  among  other 
Association  visits  I  saw  Mr.  Pugh  of  the  Washington 
Association,  who  said,  'Weidensall  has  been  here  and 
he  just  did  me  good  all  the  time  he  was  with  me ;  why 
when  he  shakes  hands  with  that  hand  of  his,  you  know 
it  seems  to  go  right  through  you.  He  sat  down  with 
the  members  and  attended  the  committee  meetings  and 
just  set  them  all  up.  I  never  had  anything  do  me  so 
much  good,  I  never  felt  better  in  my  work  than  during 
his  visit.'  Now,  Weidensall,  this  kind  of  thing  is  worth 
living  for,  isn't  it?  From  the  reports  that  Mr.  Pugh 
gave  me,  I  ju<lge  they  are  doing  first  rate,  and  if  you 
had  a  hand  in  it,  what  a  pleasure  it  must  have  been." 

Here  is  a  characteristic  letter  from  Robert  Weiden- 
sall, his  lifelong  friend : 

"The  grand  old  men  w^ho  have  done  so  much  are  fast 
passing  away — am  glad  you  are  left.  Take  care  of  your- 
self. Don't  try  to  be  responsible  for  too  much  or  do 
too  much  in  a  given  time.  A  man  can  do  only  a  man's 
work.  It  takes  a  nund)er  of  men  to  do  an  Association's 
work.  I  have  long  ago  learned  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  has  a  greater  interest  in  the  Associations  and 
in  all  other  Christian  work,  than  any  and  all  Christians 
put  together.    He  is  not  unmindful  of  His  work. 

"There  is  much  for  both  you  and  me  to  do  yet.    Let 


J  72  JAMES  STOKES -nONEER 

us  do  with  our  wliole  heart  what  we  can  do,  and  what 
we  cannot  do  shift  to  otliers  whom  we  can  trust,  and 
put  all  of  it  with  absolute  faith  upon  the  Lord  who 
can  and  will  attend  to  it. 

''Am  working  day  and  night  on  my  study  and  prep- 
aration for  the  multiplication  of  volunteer  workers  to 
lead  men  to  Jesus  Christ — to  understand  clearly  what 
the  Cliristian  faith  and  life  are,  and  to  set  them  at 
work  to  win  their  fellows.  T  believe  this  will  be  by 
far  my  best  contribution  to  Christian  work." 

Evangelism  was  in  his  heart.  He  would  gladly  take 
his  place  on  the  platform.  He  had  worked  with  Moody 
and  Sankey.  He  had  toured  the  south  with  Hall  and 
Cree  and  had  been  a  fellow  personal  worker  with  Mc- 
Burney  all  his  earlier  years.  In  a  letter  from  France 
he  writes  a  friend : 

"You  may  perhaps  know  that  I  had  planned  for  a 
great  evangelical  and  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion tour  through  France  accompanied  by  Mr.  Sautter, 
the  national  secretary,  and  Pastor  Thomas.  Then,  too, 
T  must  complete  the  building  of  the  gj'mnasium  in 
Rome. 

"So  you  see  that  I  have  not  been,  and  do  not  plan  to 
be,  idle  the  coming  winter;  but  the  doctor  has  stopped 
all  this  and  threatens  me  with  a  breakdown  if  I  do 
not  desist. 

"I  know  of  no  one  whom  God  has  so  honored  by  giv- 
ing him  the  opportunity  to  work  in  behalf  of  the 
Master." 

As  a  member  of  the  Visitation  Committee  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  New  York  City  Association, 
he  had  made  the  round  of  the  many  branches  in  1905. 
This  suggested  the  following  appeal  to  his  fellow-direc- 
tors to  enter  into  closer  relations  with  the  members 


A    PASSION   I'OR  IIFvLPINO   FOLKS         ITM 

and    l<>  j;ivc  as  iiiucli   lli(>\i.';iit   to  making  an  eirective 
organization  for  service  as  to  the  business  details: 

"And  just  here,  we  want  to  say,  as  we  liave  so  fre- 
quently said  before,  that  some  plan  should  be  devised 
by  which  every  niendjer  of  this  Board  should  come  to 
this  meeting-,  not  only  to  pass  resolutions  and  authorize 
bills,  as  in  a  business  corporation,  but  that  each  mem- 
ber should  feel  a  vital  interest  in  every  department  of 
the  work,  and  that  some  scheme  should  be  devised 
whereby  we  could  spend  some  hours,  if  need  be,  in  dis- 
cussing deliberately  and  elfectively  how  each  one  of  us 
can  be  brouglit  into  touch  with  every  part  of  the  work, 
and  the  leaders  amongst  the  members  and  branches  be 
brought  into  personal  sympatln'  and  communication 
with  ourselves.  Unless  some  such  plan  is  devised  I 
fear  for  the  future  work  of  our  body.  It  will  become 
more  and  more  perfunctorj'^,  and  the  members  will  feel 
that  all  duties  are  properly  performed  when  they  have 
delegated  them  to  the  duly  employed  agent." 

In  a  report  of  the  New  York  City  Association  of  the 
early  and  striking  work  of  the  French  Branch,  Mr. 
Stokes  notes  in  detail  its  international  service  of 
friendship  to  young  Russians,  Italians,  Swiss,  and 
French,  notes  also  the  changed  aspect  of  the  German 
press  and  in  a  discriminating  note  urges  an  extension 
of  Association  work  for  foreign-born  men  in  America : 

"Our  organization  can  reach  the  foreigners  coming 
to  America.  Manj  of  them  know  no  distinction  be- 
tween a  minister  and  a  priest,  confounding  them  all 
as  hated  representatives  of  a  church,  which  means  in 
their  homes  a  state  for  which  they  are  taxed.  But 
our  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  comes  to  them 
as  an  active,  energetic  organization  of  young  men — 
each  man  independent,  but  each  one  voluntarily  giv- 
ing some  of  his  time  to  Christian  work  and  before  all 
to  Christian  fellowship.  Can  we  afford  to  ignore  these 
facts?     Can  we  atl'ord  to  let  pass  opportunities   for 


174  .lAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

reaching  ami  saving  these  people?  No  thonghtful  man 
can  fail  to  see  that  there  is  a  Providence  in  these  vari- 
ous nations  sending  out  their  representatives  to  Amer- 
ica. They  are  to  receive  in  America  the  xVmerican  idea 
of  American  independence  and  Christian  libei'ty,  and 
some  of  them  are  to  go  back  and  in  time  revolutionize, 
so  to  speak,  their  own  liomes;  until  the  great  plan  of 
Providence  in  this  great  country  of  ours,  and  its  rela- 
tion to  the  whole  world,  shall  be  finally  accomplished." 


XIV 

messac;es,  letters,  and  reports 

To  his  frieinl,  Count  I'oiirtales,  President  of  the 
Paris  Association,  JMr.  Stokes  wrote  in  later  middle 
life: 

^'Now  that  my  children  have  all  been  taiveu  from  me, 
your  organization,  in  a  way,  stands  in  my  heart  as  if 
it  were  my  own  olfsprins  and  1  am  anxious  before  I  die 
to  see  how  far  the  ideals  wliich  we  had  years  ago  when 
the  Association  was  begun  may  be  carried  out.*' 

A  man  reveals  himself  in  his  intimate  letters  as  in 
no  other  way  and  declares  himself  in  the  messages 
which  come  hot  from  his  heart.  AVonld  we  know  the 
real  James  Stokes,  let  us  see  him  in  his  unconscious 
self-declarations.  From  a  voluminous  correspondence 
covering  half  a  century  in  which  his  chief  business  was 
pioneering  and  establishing  Associations  of  young  men, 
these  illuminating  excerpts  are  made. 

The  cause  he  espoused  as  a  young  man  held  first 
place  in  his  life  to  the  end.  Few  men  grasped  and  mas- 
tered the  principles  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation as  he  did.  He  was  intimately  acquainted  as 
was  no  other  layman  with  the  men  of  the  movement  in 
all  lands,  and  he  was  as  familiar  with  its  methods.  He 
attended  more  national  and  world  conventions  in  his 
life  than  any  other  lay  worker.  He  assimilated  the 
spirit  and  reflected  the  best  thought  of  the  organiza- 
tion. He  thought  in  the  terms  of  young  men,  and  his 
convictions,  which  deepened  with  years,  did  not  grow 
away  from  youth. 

175 


17G  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

To  the  young  men  of  Paris  on  the  anniversary  day 
of  the  Fete  de  Jennesse  he  sent  this  message  at  the 
solicitation  of  their  officers — a  message  timely  for  all 
time,  and  truly  reflecting  his  dominant  purpose  and 
personality : 

"You  see  tlie  importance  of  right  views,  strong  con- 
victions, and  earnest  ett'ort  in  whatever  line  of  duty 
you  believe  God  has  called  you  to.  I  have  worked 
all  my  life  as  a  young  man  amongst  young  men.  I 
hope  to  keep  my  sympathies  young  and  when  I  die  to 
die  a  young  man,  so  I  send  you  the  cordial  greetings  of 
one  who,  tliougli  a  young  man,  has  worked  for  many 
years  in  the  gi-eat  movements  that  have  interested  the 
Christian  youth  of  my  country. 

"Should  I  talk  to  you  all  day,  my  text  would  be  only 
the  Bible,  our  light  and  guide;  study  it  constantly, 
think  and  pray  over  it,  learn  its  spirit,  and  follow  its 
directions.    That  only  is  a  path  of  safety." 

Appointed  in  18GG  foreign  corresponding  secretary 
of  the  International  Committee,  he  became  familiar 
with  the  entire  movement  in  its  expanding  years  in  all 
lands  and  was  among  the  first  to  recognize  that  Amer- 
ica had  a  responsibility  to  fulfil  to  young  men  of 
other  lands.  In  his  papers  are  found  many  agenda  of 
conferences  with  world  leaders,  which  are  marvels  of 
comprehensiveness — outlines  which  reveal  an  astonish- 
ing grasp  of  detail  and  knowledge  of  conditions  of  the 
Association  in  all  countries  where  it  operated  or  to 
which  it  miglit  extend.  Once  committed  to  a  project 
he  saw  it  through. 

He  was  spoken  of  as  a  philanthropist;  he  was  ratlier 
a  pioneer  promoter.  He  was  regarded  as  a  patron,  but 
he  hated  patronage.  Some  thought  him  an  autocrat, 
but  he  was  thoroughly  democratic.  He  was  always 
contending  for  what  he  thought  was  right,  but  as  eager 


Mi':ssA(;i:s,  lettkks,  and  uiopokts    177 

to  be  right.  To  a  secretary  with  whom  he  often  con- 
sulted he  said,  ''What  I  lilce  about  you  is  that  you 
don't  always  agree  with  me,  and  you  don't  hesitate  to 
tell  me  so.  You  are  honest."  How  he  detested  deceit 
and  lying! 

"Let  us  learn  from  everybody  without  prejudice." 
He  was  ever  learning  from  young  men  and  old  and 
welcomed  a  suggestion  which  would  lead  to  increased 
elliciency.  He  wrote  to  a  veteran  member  of  the 
World's  Committee : 

"We  are  not  ashamed  to  come  to  France  to  learn. 
When  we  find  the  French  or  the  Germans  underselling 
our  goods,  we  come  to  their  countries  to  discover  how 
they  do  it,  and  we  are  not  ashamed  to  bring  the  coun- 
trymen of  these  lands  to  our  own  homes  that  they  may 
teach  us  just  how  to  conduct  these  enterprises.  We  do 
not  feel  tlicre  is  any  disgi-ace  in  our  ignorance,  and  we 
cannot  understand  why  our  continental  friends  should 
imagine  for  a  moment  that  it  is  disgraceful  to  get  the 
needed  information  in  any  place  regarding  modern 
Association  work  where  the}^  can  find  the  greatest 
experience.  We  are  perfectly  willing  to  be  instructed 
by  Frenchmen,  Italinns,  Swiss,  Germans,  or  anybody 
Vviio  can  give  us  the  best  advice." 

To  the  banquet  given  to  the  workmen  who  erected 
the  Association  building  in  Paris  he  sent  this  ringing 
message  and  interpretation  of  the  Carpenter  of  Naz- 
areth.   Could  anything  be  better  done? 

"It  is  not  workmen  of  the  hand  only,  but  also  of  the 
head  and  heart,  whose  work  we  have  come  to  honor 
this  night,  and  so,  on  behalf  of  all  who  may  call  them- 
selves workmen,  whether  for  their  necessities  or  the 
bettering  of  their  fellowmen,  I  wish  to  say  a  word. 

"Let  me  say  a  word  about  the  greatest  Workman  who 
ever  lived,  whose  knowledge  of  the  human  mind  and 
heart  was  so  profound  that  He  became  the  greatest  true 


J 78  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

socialist,  a  leader  amongst  men.  He  was  born  in  the 
Orient,  from  which,  in  my  tour  aronnd  the  world,  I 
have  just  come.  Wh(!n  but  a  boy,  He  was  noted  for 
His  wisdom  and  perception,  and  He  could  carry  on 
discussions  with  those  who  w^ere  learned  in  the  law; 
though  able  to  surround  Himself  with  all  which  could 
delight  human  ambition,  He  preferred  to  take  a  humble 
position.  He  learned  a  trade  and  He  worked  as  a 
carpenter. 

''This  Boy  and  Young  Man  was  filled  with  truth,  and 
no  man  and  no  nation  can  be  great  which  is  not  filled 
with  truth.  If  he  made  a  box  or  a  table.  He  did  it  with 
a  conscientious  zeal  wiiicli  showed  that  His  heart  was 
in  His  work.  Wherever  lliere  was  sorrow,  there  was 
His  sympathy ;  wherever  there  was  joy  He  rejoiced.  In 
all  the  forms  of  human  sorrow  and  happiness,  He  was 
alike  at  home. 

"But  this  pure  and  good  Man  was  denounced  by  the 
leaders  of  the  mob,  and  rejected  by  those  who  were  sup- 
posed to  teach  the  tenets  of  truth  and  religion.  He  was 
taken  and  illegally  condemned  to  death,  and  He  died 
for  you  and  me.  Need  I  tell  you  that  this  is  the  Christ, 
the  Babe  of  Bethlehem,  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth,  and 
the  Crucified  at  Jerusalem?  When  His  enemies  had 
destroyed  His  mortal  body,  they  thought  that  the  end 
had  come,  but  no!  the  Man.  the  God,  who  could  say, 
'Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest,'  could  never  die. 

"There  is  not  one  of  us  but  that  has  labored  ;  that  has 
been  heavily  laden.  It  may  be  witli  sorrow,  it  may  be 
with  pain,  and  when  we  have  heard  this  voice  echoing 
down  the  ages,  it  has  cheered  our  heart  an<l  lifted  up 
our  head  again,  for  He  spake  as  never  man  spake  when 
He  said,  'Come  unto  iMe,'  and  His  words  are  as  fresh 
today  as  when  on  the  mountains  of  Judea,  He  gave  that 
welcome  invitation  to  the  family  of  man." 

"Surely  the  Christian  young  men  sliould  be  the  hap- 
piest, healthiest,  and  best  instructed  of  all  young  men." 


MESSA(Ji:S,  L1:TTKRS,  and  UEI'OKTS     17'J 

This  message  he  wrote  Ihe  ineiubers  of  the  Paris  Asso- 
ciation on  the  opening  of  their  new  building,  urging 
them  to  add  the  study  of  the  Bible  to  their  personal 
program : 

''Why  do  I  enii)liasize  the  study  of  the  Bible?  Be- 
cause in  the  heart  of  every  one  there  is  something  which 
tells  us  when  we  go  wrong,  which  points  us  to  right, 
and  makes  us  desire  true  instruction  and  guidance  and 
furnishes  a  great  living  model  by  which  we  can  shape 
our  lives.  No  book  can  convict  us  of  sin  like  the  Bible, 
and  thus  turn  us  to  the  dinner's  Friend.  Nowhere  can 
we  find  such  help  in  sorrow,  in  doubts,  and  in  trouble, 
and  such  fellowslii])  in  our  joy.  No  one  has  ever  lived 
like  the  man  and  Ood  Christ  -Jesus,  an  example  for  all 
time  and  all  men.  No  wonder  we  chose  Him  for  the 
name  of  our  Association.  Let  us  do  nothing  to  dis- 
grace the  name  of  our  Founder.  Keep  close  to  Him  and 
He  will  keep  close  to  you. 

"You  are  now  about  to  enjoy  the  full  benefit  of  your 
new  building.  Some  have  thought  that  Christians 
were  long-faced  and  sour  and  could  not  enjoy  the  good 
things  of  this  life.  Look  at  our  class  rooms  for  instruc- 
tion and  amusement,  our  restaurant  and  social  rooms, 
our  library  and  music  rooms,  our  reading  rooms  and, 
one  of  our  most  important  agencies,  the  gymnasium, 
its  apparatus  having  the  best  improvements  for  build- 
ing up  a  healthy  body,  and  its  able  instructor  learned 
in  the  modern  gymnastic  method.  Surely  the  Cliristian 
young  man  should  be  the  happiest,  healthiest,  and  best 
instructed  of  all  young  men." 

Young  men  are  the  same  the  world  over,  he  claimed, 
and  yet  in  every  country  he  sought  to  adapt  the  Asso- 
ciation to  the  national  mind  and  to  conditions  as  they 
there  existed.     Witness  the  projection  of  the  Mayak : 

"Our  European  friends  are  perfectly  willing  to  re- 
ceive any  donations  of  money,  they  do  not  care  to  have 
us  donate  our  advice,  telling  us  that  the  countries  and 


180  .lAlMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

the  people  are  so  ditrerpiit,  the  American  ideas  will  not 
do  for  Europe.  Now  this  in  the  main  is  all  nonsense. 
Young  men  are  the  same  all  the  world  over  and  unless 
there  are  exceptional  conditions  as  to  their  surround- 
ings, they  can  be  treated  in  the  same  general  way  as 
with  us,  of  course  adopting  the  national  coloring  of 
each  situation." 

Fresh  from  his  first  journey  around  the  world  he 
makes  these  observations  on  the  adaptation  of  the  Asso- 
ciation to  serve  the  young  men  of  the  East : 

''The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  work  is 
unique.  It  is  not  only  adapted  to  tlie  Anglo-Saxon, 
among  whom  it  started,  but  its  form  is  so  practical 
and  elastic  it  reaches  around  the  world  to  all  young 
men  of  whatever  nalion  or  creed. 

"I  spoke  to  the  Hindu  students  in  Calcutta  about 
their  own  personal  friends  and  asked  them  if  they  did 
not  want  a  better  Friend  tlian  any  earthly  one  and 
pointed  them  to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  best  Friend  of  all. 
After  the  meeting  they  came  up  and  talked  about  Christ 
and  their  great  god  Oanesli  and  others.  It  was  per- 
fectly natural  for  these  young  men  to  come  to  the 
Young  jMen's  Christian  Association  building  and  study 
new  forms  of  religion,  or  (what  they  called)  philoso- 
phy. Had  tliey  gone  to  a  Christian  Cliurch  they  would 
have  been  going  to  a  new  temple,  wliicli  would  have 
made  them  lialde  to  be  turned  out  of  their  houses  and 
ostracized  by  their  families. 

"The  Y^oung  Men's  Christian  Association  is  not  a 
cliurch  nor  a  denomination,  it  is  a  band  of  loving 
Christian  young  men,  working  with  practical  methods. 
Their  reading  rooms,  libraries,  and  gymnasiums  are 
open  to  young  men  the  world  over,  and  at  the  same  time 
their  work  and  message  appeal  to  these  same  young 
men  in  the  strongest  manner." 

To  the  Chicago  Association  on  its  fiftieth  anniversary 


MESSAGES,  li:tti:ks,  and  ki:p()kts    isi 

he  sent  this  letter,  which  conveys  a  challenge,  as  well 
as  congratulations: 

"My  remembrances  go  back  to  Moody,  Farwell, 
Houghteling,  McCormick,  our  dear  friend  Messer,  and 
many  others.    It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  be  with  you. 

"There  never  was  a  time  when  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  needed  to  make  more  clear  its 
right  to  a  being  and  its  true  foundation  than  now. 
The  influx  of  foreigners  wiio  believe  license  to  be  lib- 
erty and  who  have  no  true  conception  of  tlie  founda- 
tions of  our  government  is  overrunning  our  large 
cities;  selfishness  in  low  as  well  as  in  high  places  has 
demoralized  our  people;  habits  of  luxury  have  in- 
creased, and  are  p;iinfully  evident  amongst  our  youth. 
The  only  hope  of  our  Association  work  is  to  maintain 
the  origintil  standards — those  laid  down  at  Paris  and 
at  Portland,  conlirmed  at  our  late  Washington  Con- 
vention. 

"If  our  Associations  become  mere  social  clubs,  or 
social  debiiting  societies  where  exploded  theories  are 
exploited  in  public  as  new-found  fads,  our  great  or- 
ganization will  lose  its  power  and  its  influence. 

"Let  us  be  careful  that  only  tried  men,  thoroughly 
grounded  in  the  faith,  are  put  in  positions  of  trust  and 
confidence.  If  all  this  is  done,  our  blessed  organiza- 
tion will  go  on  to  even  greater  successes." 

In  a  communication  to  the  New  York  Association  he 
makes  his  position  clear  on  the  discussion  of  political 
questions  in  the  Association — a  position  which  all  the 
experience  of  the  organization  fidly  justifies : 

"Have  we  not  enough  political,  civic,  and  religio- 
civic  organizations  to  which  we  can  turn  over  the 
young  men  who  desire  to  be  useful  in  any  of  these  com- 
mendable efforts?  Has  not  the  Association  got  enough 
to  do  as  a  training  school  for  young  men  and  founding 
healthful  resorts  physically,  mentally,  and  spiritually? 


182  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

A  man  thoronghl^^  converted  Khould  be  fully  prepared 
to  do  his  civic  and  all  other  duties." 

"Hon.  John  C.  Clark,  a  member  of  this  Board  and 
Chairman  of  Judge  Whitman's  ("ampaign  Committee, 
said  that  he  would  not  speak  before  the  Association 
during  a  campaign,  and  the  following  resolution  was 
introduced : 

"  'Resolved,  that  this  Board  commend  this  action  and 
desire  to  put  on  record  their  decision  tliat  in  accord- 
ance with  the  Constitution  and  custom  of  the  Associa- 
tion there  should  be  no  political  propaganda  in  the 
buildings  of  the  Association,  especially  when  the  his- 
tory of  this  Association  shows  that  the  introduction  of 
politics  during  the  Anti-slavery  Campaign  many  years 
ago  was  the  means  of  breaking  up  and  nearly  ruining 
this  organization,  whereupon  it  became  the  settled  pol- 
icy of  this  Association  after  its  reorganization  after 
the  war  that  tliere  slioiild  be  no  political  discussions  as 
there  was  not  only  likely  to  be  a  divergence  of  political 
views  amongst  our  membership  but  also  because  tlie 
object  of  the  Association,  as  its  name  implied,  was  to 
bring  young  men  to  Chi'ist,  being  assured  that  this 
would  produce  right  living  and  right  action  as  to  their 
duties  as  men  and  citizens.' " 

His  views  on  the  unity  of  the  Christian  Church  are 
forcibly  put  in  this  paragraph  selected  from  a  long 
and  solicitous  letter : 

^'There  is  some  chance  now  that  our  Saviour's  prayer 
may  be  fulfilled,  'that  they  all  may  be  one.'  I  have 
made  a  tour  around  the  world,  as  well  as  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  and  I  know,  as  j-ou  must,  the  awful 
effects  of  the  so-called  divisions  in  our  Protestant 
Churcli.  The  heathen  and  semi-lieathen  do  not  compre- 
hend our  denominational  differences,  which  to  us  in 
our  free  and  enlightened  country  seem  but  various  ex- 
pressions of  one  faith,  the  worst  effect  being  that  from 
a  business  point  of  view  we  over  and  underdo  the  work 
necessary  to  be  accomplished.    If  the  Foreign  Mission 


MESSAGES,  LETTERS,  AND  REPORTS     183 

Boiinis,  as  well  as  their  secretaries,  can  unite  upon  one 
plan  of  operations,  and  carry  it  out  in  one  well  digested 
plan,  with  the  idea  of  the  inlovy  of  the  Master,  and  not 
the  gh)ry  of  one  organization,  we  are  taking  a  pretty 
good  step  forward  towards  the  millennium. 

''How  heart  sick  it  has  made  me,  in  some  of  my  labors 
abroad,  to  feel  that  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, which  has  been  my  life  work,  was  the  only  or- 
ganization which  could  bring  the  quarreling  and  jeal- 
ous pastors  of  the  various  denominations  together  (I 
am  quoting  recent  experiences).  In  one  great  center 
to  which  1  refer,  the  city  is  cursed,  if  I  remember 
rightly,  with  two  kinds  of  Baptists,  three  kinds  of 
Episcopalians,  two  kinds  of  Methodists,  and  at  least 
one  kind  of  Presbyterian,  all  striving  with  limited 
means  and  divided  ranks  to  convert  the  i^opulace,  and 
almost  jealous  least  their  young  men  should  by  any 
chance  wander  into  the  fold  of  the  others,  or  be  drawn 
away  by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and 
the  pastors  announcing  publicly  tliat  they  expected  to 
attend  to  the  religion  of  the  young  men,  while  the  Asso- 
ciation should  attend  to  their  athletic,  social,  and  other 
needs." 

Invited  to  speak  at  the  conference  of  the  British 
Association  in  1890  he  sends  this  letter  from  Paris, 
which  reveals  his  acquaintance  with  their  methods  and 
expresses  his  conception  of  what  an  association  of  men 
should  be,  urging  unity  in  spirit,  thorough  organiza- 
tion, and  Bible  training  classes,  and  advocating  ath- 
letics and  physical  training: 

"Were  I  with  you,  we  should  meet  as  'Christ's  men' 
and  you  would  naturally  inquire  of  me,  'How  dwelleth 
Christ  with  you?'  and  'Is  He  your  hope  of  glory?'  'In 
following  His  example  and  in  the  Associations  called 
after  His  holy  Name,  what  new  methods  do  you  find 
to  advance  Ilis  Kingdom  in  America?'  I  should  an- 
swer that  I  believe  the  Ass-ioeiations  are  going  through 
the  same  experiences  that  I  have  had  as  an  individual. 


184  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

"Many  years  ago  I  made  a  journey  to  the  Holy  Land 
and  visited  the  sacred  places  there,  but  wherever  I 
went,  1  found  at  least  three  'sacred  places,'  one  kept 
by  the  Clreek  Church,  another  by  the  Roman  Church, 
and  another  by  the  Armenian,  so  as  I  had  doubts  as  to 
the  verity  of  any  particular  spot,  it  was  diilicult  to  feel 
a  veneration  for  anj'^  special  locality. 

'"I  think  our  Associations  in  America  have  tried  to 
close  their  eyes,  so  to  speak,  upon  all  tlie  ancient  sur- 
roundings which  cluster  about  the  history  of  our 
ascended  Saviour  and  have  tried  to  bring  Him  again  to 
our  own  times  as  a  Man  dwelling  amongst  us,  asking 
ourselves  just  how  He  would  act  if  He  were  in  living 
presence  among  us.  He  wlio,  as  a  boy,  probably  worked 
with  His  father  in  the  carpenter's  sliop,  we  know  as  a 
man  sympa<hi7>ed  with  JMary  and  Martha  and  equally 
rejoiced  with  those  at  the  wedding  feast,  and  He  must 
have  taken  a  very  active  part  in  all  the  daily  routine  of 
what,  to  us,  would  seem  a  very  restricted  life  in  those 
long  ago  ages.  So  then,  we  feel  we  could  expect  His 
blessing  on  anything  in  which  He  would  presumably 
take  part  were  He  visibly  amongst  us  now. 

"Let  us  ai)ply  this  rule  to  the  question  I  know  you 
would  surely  ask  me,  namely,  do  you  find  your  athletics 
and  entertainments  a  means  of  gi-ace  or  of  hindrance 
to  your  Christian  life?  In  reply  I  would  say  we  find 
them  a  great  aid.  The  young  man  who  avoids  the 
clergyman  and  scarcely*  ever  enters  a  church  is  invited 
by  a  member  to  visit  our  bowling  alley,  gymnasium, 
baths,  and  swimming  school,  takes  a  look  at  the  library 
and  numerous  classes,  and  on  the  way  downstairs  is  in- 
cidentally asked  to  enter  the  parlor  and  music  room, 
where  he  finds  other  members  at  fanuly  worship.  Be- 
fore he  knows  it  he  is  sitting  with  them,  he  is  listening 
to  their  songs  and  prayers,  and  when  the  invitation  is 
given  for  those  who  desire  to  lead  a  new  life  to  manifest 
it  by  raising  the  hand,  as  is  our  custom,  his  hand  is 
seen  to  rise  and  his  soul  is  filled  with  a  new  inspiration 
for  right  living. 

"I  am  drawing  no  fancy  sketch;  I  believe  we  have 


MESSAGES,  LETTERS,  AND  KEPORTS     1S5 

such  occnrrcnccs  almost  daily  in  our  rooms.  Surely, 
we  can  see  Christ  in  all  this.  You  will  ask  about  the 
study  of  the  Word.  Yes,  we  keep  it  up  and  we  thank 
3'ou  lor  this  and  all  the  other  fundamental  ideas  of  the 
work  which  you  have  taught  us.  We  have  not  only 
Bible  classes,  but  Hible  training  classes  for  Christian 
wcu'kers  who  specially  deal  with  those  concerned  about 
their  soul's  salvation. 

"Now  I  see  that  you  arc  putting  all  your  members, 
associate  as  well  as  active,  on  sub-committees  and  that 
3'onr  board,  or  chief  committee  as  you  call  it,  j)lans  the 
work  and  the  members  carry  it  out.  This  we  have 
found  to  be  one  of  the  secrets  of  our  success.  A  i)lace 
for  every  man  and  ever}'  man  in  his  place,  from  the 
chairman  down  to  the  humblest  member,  a  solid  army 
of  Christian  workers  inspired  with  the  one  idea  that 
God  calls  each  and  every  one  of  them  to  perform  some 
special  work  for  "Him  in  connection  with  the  Associa- 
tion. If  all  this  be  true  surely  we  have  secured  some  of 
Christ's  presence  within  us,  and  that  means  a  bit  of 
heaven  here  below,  and  if  that  be  so,  then  we  need  not 
trouble  about  the  future." 

With  the  words,  "The  test  of  what  I  do  must  be.  Can 
I  be  useful?"  Mr.  Stokes  concludes  a  thorough  report 
of  his  first  world  tour  of  visitation  ending  at  Rome 
in  1S97.  In  writing  W.  n.  Mills,  Secretary  of  the  Brit- 
ish National  Council,  he  presents  his  observations  in 
such  a  thorough  and  masterful  manner  as  to  make  it 
more  than  clear  that  his  statement,  "I  have  made  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  my  life  work"  was 
not  lightly  said : 

"I  have  to  report  my  arrival  in  Rome  and  my  trip 
around  the  world,  and  as  delegate  from  our  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
Committee.  I  shall  hope  to  be  able  ere  long  to  be  able 
to  present  a  full  report  of  my  experiences  to  our 
Committee. 

"From  here  I  must  go  to  Geneva,  where  I  shall  report 


]8C;  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

to  our  World's  Committee,  iuid  thence,  staying  for  a 
sliort  time  in  Paris,  I  shall  hasten  to  London,  where  I 
shall  hope  to  meet  all  the  dear  friends  I  should  like, 
sliould  I  be  able  to  arrive  at  the  time  of  your  great 
annual  religious  meetings.  They  would  revive  the 
memories  of  my  childhood  when  we  had  such  meetings 
in  New  York,  and  if  I  could  be  useful  (which  must  be 
my  only  test)  by  word  or  pen  at  that  time,  I  shall 
be  glad. 

''I  want  to  say  to  you,  whom  I  consider  such  a  wise 
adviser,  that  I  propose  getting  before  the  public,  if  it 
seems  desirable,  two  thoughts,  from,  shall  I  say,  an 
American  standpoint.  The  tirst  relates  to  the  manifest 
destiny  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  its  duty  to  civilize 
and  Christianize  the  world,  and  therefore,  tlie  duty  of 
all  branches  of  this  family,  xVmerican  and  English,  to 
come  together  for  this  common  object.  This  is  a  pretty 
big  subject,  is  it  not?  And  to  be  rightly  treated,  it 
wants  a  man  with  a  bigger  head,  if  not  heart,  than  I 
have  got. 

"When  I  left  America,  stripped  of  so  much  which 
makes  life  desirable,  I  asked  myself  what  did  God  mean 
and  how  could  T  be  useful?  The  following  topics  came 
uppermost  in  my  mind  :  (1 )  What  is  the  position  of  the 
American  people  in  the  commerce,  etc.,  of  the  world, 
and  as  in  cooperation  with  our  English  relatives;  (2) 
to  investigate  the  standing  condition  of  all  mission- 
aries, and  to  refute,  if  possible,  the  popular  and 
wicked  fabrications  which  seem  to  have  the  go  with 
the  globe  trotters;  (3)  to  work  in  behalf  of  women, 
particularly  through  our  Young  Women's  Christian 
Associations,  trying  to  organize  them  locally  and  na- 
tionally, where  possible;  (4)  and  chiefly,  as  delegate, 
to  try  and  thoroughly  investigate  the  condition,  pros- 
pects, and  opportunities  of  our  great  organization  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

"In  carrying  out  this  plan,  I  purposed  to  put  aside 
all  previous  conceptions,  piejudices,  if  any  could  exist, 
and  national  antipathies  which  some  people  are  wicked 
enough  to  think  shouhl  be  held  by  nations  whose  gov- 


Mi:ssA(Ji:s,  li:ttioks,  and  keports    ist 

erning  forces  are  of  the  same  common  stock  and  the 
same  common  faith. 

"It  seemed  ( 1 )  that  we  had  voluntarily  made  the 
American  ihi^  a  mere  tradition  in  the  ports  and  com- 
merce which  I  visited.  (2)  1  was  able  to  trace  down 
with  names,  localities,  etc.,  some  of  the  falsehoods  about 
the  missionaries.  At  the  same  time  1  hope  1  have 
piined  some  practical  information  as  to  their  methods 
of  work,  which  can  only  be  secured  on  the  spot  and 
which  i  trust  may  enable  me  in  the  future  to  make 
some  valuable  suggestions  as  to  their  work  and  that  of 
our  Y,  M,  C.  A.,  collateral  to  their  own  and  apparently 
everywhere  welcomed  by  their  leading-  men.  (3)  As 
to  the  young  women,  I  shall  be  grateful  if  I  can  report 
to  them  some  special  and  providential  work  accom- 
plished in  their  b.ehalf,  particularly  in  Japan  and  India. 
(4)  As  to  our  Y.  M,  C,  A.  I  must  make  tliis  a  subject 
of  especial  report.  I  can  only  say  in  passing  that  the 
opportunities  and  prospects  of  this  work  I  believe  to 
be  beyond  expression.  But  our  fathers  business' 
should  be  conducted  certainly  with  the  same  zeal  and 
discretion  which  we  give  to  our  own  business  affairs. 
And  we  ought  not  to  look  for  good  results  unless  our 
work  is  done  in  that  way. 

"I  cannot  avoid  referring  to  the  grand  opportunities, 
as  well  as  the  great  responsibilities  laid  upon  our 
English  brethren  of  the  Associations  toward  the  Euro- 
pean and  native  young  men  of  the  Orient,  and  more 
particularly  in  India.  They  must  more  than  stand  by 
their  American  brethren  in  this  latter  country.  Let 
there  be  the  keenest  of  'holy  emulation'  to  seize  this 
opportunity  of  the  centuries,  to  reach  and  save  the 
youth  of  these  lands.  When  I  reach  England,  if  it 
seems  best,  I  shall  be  glad  to  take  part,  if  possible,  in 
drawing-room  or  other  meetings,  generally  in  behalf 
of  this  work,  but  especially  in  behalf  of  the  sailors, 
railroad  men,  and  soldiers — the  men  who  carry  on 
your  vast  commerce  and  the  men  who  protect  it  and 
make  it  possible.  Surely  your  merchant  princes  and 
others  will  appreciate  the  business  claim,  if  no  higher 


188  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

motive,  that  these  classes  have  upon  them,  and  their 
own  need  of  self-protection.  If  deemed  wise,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  nrge  this  home  upon  them  and  to  give  them 
some  results  of  my  investigations.  Surely  a  strong 
appeal  could  be  made  in  behalf  of  your  colonies,  for 
where  is  the  English  home  that  does  not  have  some  son 
representing  it  and  the  mother  country,  in  this  far- 
away service?  Now  what  has  been  the  result  of  all 
these  investigations?  Could  I  help  but  be  impressed 
by  the  grand  work  already  accomplished  by  the  British 
people  in  its  colonial  enterprises,  the  magnificent  op- 
portunity which  this  nineteenth  century  opens  out  for 
what  seems  'the  manifest  destiny  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race'?  Shall  we  seize  this  opportunity,  given  as  never 
before  to  the  youth  of  the  world,  shall  we  clasp  hands 
across  the  sea  and  join  this  crusade  for  Christ  and 
humanity,  a  crusade  of  which  the  Knights  of  Malta 
had  but  the  faintest  conception?  Or  shall  we  allow  the 
petty  politicians  to  divide  and  keep  separate  the  vari- 
ous branches  of  the  great  Anglo-Saxon  family,  to 
retard  and  put  back  the  onward  march  of  true 
civilization? 

^'I  am  impressed  by  the  opportunities  and  responsi- 
bilities of  those  who  may  have  been  pushed  to  the 
front  in  our  great  work.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  I  wish 
to  get  these  ideas  before  the  British  and  American 
public,  and  to  aid  in  some  little  way  towards  an  era 
of  kindly  feeling  and  mutual  progress? 

"I  think  3'ou  will  agree  with  me  that  any  special 
appeal  made  as  in  drawing-room  meetings,  especially 
if  coming  to  a  new  class,  will  tend  to  increase  rather 
than  decrease  the  funds  needed  for  your  local  work. 
This  is  our  experience  in  America — the  more  we  inter- 
est for  our  special  work,  the  more  we  get  for  our  gen- 
eral work.  I  know  that  you  will  write  me  fully  and 
frankly,  and  the  test  of  what  I  do  must  be,  Can  I 
be  useful?" 

From  his  report  of  his  world  tour  with  Mrs.  Stokes 
in  1905,  covering  many  pages,  this  excerpt  is  made.    It 


When  France  Hon(jkeu  Mh.  >St(;ki;s 
On  the  occasion  of  the  World's  Conference  held  in  the  Paris 
Association  building  on  Rue  de  Trcvisc  in  1905  the  Republic  of 
France  made  Mr.  St()k(>s  an  Officer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  in 
recognition  of  his  notable  service  to  the  young  men  of  the  R,ei)ublic. 
By  the  King  of  Italy  he  was  made  a  Cavaliere  of  the  Order  of 
S.  S.  Maurice  and  Lozara.  The  Czar  decorated  him  with  the  order 
of  St.  Stanislas  of  the  First  Class. 


MKSSAOKS,  li-:tti:ks,  and  in:i'()]rrs    i8!i 

snji;j];csts  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  entered  npon 
all  his  projects  and  the  extent  of  liis  indefatigable 
labors  for  the  young  men  of  the  world  : 

*'We  arrived  in  I'aris  where  we  found  many  of  the 
delegates  to  the  semi-centennial  conference  of  Paris. 
The  meeting  of  the  Central  International  Committee 
had  already  begun.  The  discussion  of  important  ques- 
tions was  on  'j\iodern  AV'ork.'.  We  were  responsible  for, 
or  interested  in  a  special  manner,  in  some  eight  or  ten 
delegates,  so  that  <luring  the  busy  hours  of  this  con- 
ference it  was  nearly  impossible  for  us  to  get  much 
sleej)  before  midnight  or  thereafter. 

"At  the  close  of  the  conference,  we  went  with  Mr. 
Millar  for  a  tour  of  Italy,  where  we  visite<l  the  Minis- 
ters of  the  Army,  Navy,  Commerce,  and  Agriculture. 
After  these  visits  it  became  a  question  whether  I 
should  ask  for  an  audience  with  the  King  of  Italy.  I 
thought  it  would  be  wise  to  tell  him  of  the  work  that 
was  being  done  in  behalf  of  the  young  men,  and  the 
student  classes  esi^ecially;  and  what  we  hoped  we 
might  accomplish  in  behalf  of  the  army,  navy,  and  rail- 
road employes. 

"I  had  a  most  interesting  conversation  with  His 
Majesty,  who  was  affable  and  able.  He  took  a  most 
intelligent  interest  in  all  that  I  had  to  report.  I  pre- 
sented him  with  a  copy  of  the  photograph  of  the  notable 
persons  on  the  platform  at  the  time  of  the  dedication 
of  the  International  Building  of  the  French  Branch 
(which  has  just  had  its  opening  before  I  left  New 
York)  and  explained  the  international  character  of  the 
event,  and  who  were  the  representatives  present,  includ- 
ing the  Consul  General  of  Italy,  Count  Tusti.  He  men- 
tioned the  study  of  the  Bible,  which  he  understood  was 
so  largely  conducted  among  the  English  and  American 
bodies.  Altogether,  our  conversation  was  of  a  most 
satisfactorj'  nature.  The  following  day  he  had  sent 
one  of  the  gentlemen  of  his  suite  to  visit  the  Associa- 
tion. I  think  the  time  is  ripe  for  an  aggressive  Amer- 
ican movement  on  the  continent. 


190  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"At  St.  Petersburg  we  found  Mr.  (laylord  had  ac- 
complished a  great  deal  and  reports  a  thousand  mem- 
bers, and  an  expectation  of  ut  least  a  thousand  more. 
Something  must  have  been  put  in  the  Russian  papers 
of  our  coming,  for  we  received  appeals  for  aid,  from  a 
piano  to  a  marriage  'dot'  up.  One  man  wanted  me  to 
buy  some  patent  medicine  for  the  cure  of  scarlet  fever. 
My  coming  gave  Mr.  Oaylonl  an  opportunity  of  meet- 
ing people  high  in  authority,  such  as  the  mayor  of  the 
city,  and  the  celebrated  chief  of  police  Trepow,  a  man 
who  at  any  time  is  liable  to  be  blown  to  pieces  by  a 
bomb,  and  takes  his  life  in  his  hand,  as  he  does  wliat 
he  considers  his  duty  to  his  country  and  his  emperor, 
lie  received  us  most  cordially.  I  told  him  that  I  said 
to  the  young  men  at  the  reception  given  to  us  that  I 
thought  the  students  in  all  countries  were  in  a  state  of 
clironic  semi-insanity  during  the  youthful  years  that 
they  spent  in  the  university,  and  where  they  were  not 
given  something  good  to  do,  the  devil  would  find  some- 
thing for  them.  He  agreed  with  me,  and  seemed  very 
pleased  at  our  coming. 

"I  do  not  speak  of  the  sums  of  money  I  have  dis- 
bursed, because  I  did  not  keep  an  account  of  the  vari- 
ous sums,  and  the  persons  whom  I  felt  it  a  privilege 
to  aid." 


In  presenting  the  Jubilee  Report  of  the  xVmerican 
Associations  to  President  Roosevelt  at  the  White 
House,  described  elsewhere  by  Mr.  Wishard,  he  said: 

''The  volume  which  we  desire  you  to  accept  is  a  re- 
port of  our  great  International  Jubilee  Convention  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  held  in  Bos- 
ton in  1901. 

"In  this  book  you  will  see  that  we  were  favored  with 
dispatches  or  letters  from  President  McKinley,  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  King  Edward,  Field  Marshal 
Roberts,  the  Ambassador  of  Switzerland,  and  the  King 
of  Italy,  and  also  from  prominent  people  in  or  the  gov- 


MESSAGES,  Ll-yiTKKS,  A\l>   KI^TORTS      1!)1 

cniniciits  of  Denmark,  Sweden  and  Norway,  and 
Knssia. 

"As  1  liad  lo  do  wilii  llie  ori^^inal  invitations  of  our 
foreign  delegates,  and  my  own  Association  work  has 
been  largely  in  Europe,  1  was  recjuested  to  deliver 
copies  of  these  reports  to  all  the  countries  which  had 
sent  us  such  kindly  greetings.  In  fultilment  of  this 
pleasurable  duty  I  have  delivered  similar  volumes  to 
J']arl  Roberts,  whom  1  met  at  one  of  our  Anglo-Ameri- 
can dinners,  to  King  Edward,  to  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Denmark,  to  his  Chamberlain,  Count  Moltke,  one  of  our 
prominent  workers,  to  the  King  of  Sweden  and  Nor- 
way, whom  1  had  previously  interested  in  our  Conven- 
tion and  whose  son  was  the  first  Tresideut  of  Honor 
at  our  (^)nvention  held  last  summer  in  Christiania. 
We  also  sent  one  to  the  Empress  of  Russia,  the  pro- 
tector of  our  work  in  St.  Petersburg,  who  has  been  a 
firm  friend  of  the  same  since  the  first  audience  granted 
by  her  some  four  years  ago.  A  volume  was  also  given 
to  the  Empress  of  Austria  and  a  similar  book  was  sent 
to  the  King  of  Italy,  in  whose  capital  there  is  a  build- 
ing devoted  to  the  use  of  our  organization. 

"We  delivered  personally  this  report  also  to  the 
President  of  the  French  Republic.  Our  interview  with 
the  President  of  the  French  Republic  elicited  from  him 
the  same  deep  interest  in  young  men  which  character- 
izes the  great  leaders  of  the  world. 

**And  now  it  is  my  pleasurable  duty  to  hand  to  you 
as  the  representative  of  our  mighty  nation  this  last 
volume,  telling  of  the  consultations  at  the  great  council 
of  young  men  where  they  considered  those  potent  ques- 
tions which  should  elevate  themselves  and  advance  the 
cause  of  their  world-wide  organization.  It  is  with  spe- 
cial and  personal  feelings  of  pleasure  that  I  as  a  New 
Yorker  hand  this  volume  to  you,  the  foremost  citizen 
of  our  state  and  country,  and  it  is  with  a  personal 
pleasure  that  I  recall  when  almost  a  boy  I  had  a  Sun- 
day school  class  next  to  your  father's  class.  I  remem- 
ber his  faithful  work  with  those  young  men,  and  the 
deej)  personal  interest  he  took  in  the  career  of  each 


192  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

one.  The  hints  nnd  counsels  that  he  gave  me  I  have 
never  forgotten,  and  I  see  in  one  who  bears  liis  name 
the  fruition  of  what  would  have  been  his  highest  hopes 
and  ambitions.  May  the  ancestral  blessing  which  the 
Bible  so  clearly  pronounces  be  continued  to  you,  and 
may  your  constant  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  whole  people, 
and  especially  of  that  important  class,  the  young  men 
of  the  nation,  be  blessed  in  abundant  measure  even  dur- 
ing your  lifetime." 

To  Dr.  Mott  in  191 G  he  sends  this  message  suggested 
by  his  call  for  the  observance  of  the  Week  of  Prayer, 
zealous  that  the  Association  should  stand  true  to  its 
historic  faith  and  loyalty  to  its  Lord  : 

<*The  Bible  tells  us  to  'beware  when  all  men  speak 
well  of  you,'  and  you  properly  voiced  this  warning  in 
the  circular,  'The  Call  to  the  Week  of  Prayer  for  Young 
Men,'  when  you  say:  'It  is  a  serious  fact  also  that  in 
some  communities  the  Association  is  coming  to  be 
regarded  as  a  selfish  club,  in  that  its  members  seem  to 
be  much  more  concerned  with  wliat  they  can  get  from 
the  Association  than  with  what  they  can  do  to  help 
others.  In  how  few  places  does  the  Association  give 
the  impression  that  it  is  engaged  in  an  aggressive,  wise, 
and  successful  warfare  against  the  influences  that  un- 
dermine character  and  disintegrate  faith.  Is  it  not 
true  that  some  of  the  leaders,  both  secretaries  and 
members  of  boards  and  committees,  are  apparently 
more  intent  on  winning  the  favor  of  men  of  worldly 
influence  and  power  than  on  seeking  the  blessing  and 
power  of  the  only  God'? 

"There  are  many  of  us  who  know  that  this  warning 
is  none  too  soon,  that  there  are  those  who  are  working 
in  this  and  similar  organizations,  who  would  inno- 
cently deny  the  deity  of  the  One  wliose  Name  we  bear, 
while  striving  unsparingly  for  humanitarian  objects 
which  have  so  large  a  part  in  our  work.  Unless  we 
maintain  our  standards,  the  whole  work  goes  down." 

He  erected  buildings  at  commanding  national  cen- 


MESSAGES,  LETTERS,  AND  REPORTS     V.rd 

ters,  that  tliere  a  real  work  should  domonstrate  what 
could  be  done  in  every  city  of  the  couiitiy.  Here  he 
states  basic  principles  of  Association  practice  whicli 
liave  bronght  universal  success  and  made  the  organiza- 
tion a  force  to  be  recl^oued  with  by  governments: 

''Organized  Associations  have  and  must  have  a 
building  and  a  secretary  or  secretaries  wlio  will  guide 
the  worlc.  Our  Associations  labor  for  the  benefit  of  the 
great  masses  of  young  men.  We  know  no  denomina- 
tions. Among  these  young  men  there  may  even  be 
some  who  are  not  Christians ;  but  in  the  words  of  the 
Paris  Basis,  these  young  men  'associate  their  efforts 
for  the  extension  of  llis  Kingdom  amongst  young  men.' 
Xow  what  has  been  the  result?  We  have  spread  over 
our  own  country  like  a  mighty  power,  and  our  work 
has  gone  into  all  the  Orient  and  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
To  whom  does  this  Government  appeal  when  it  wishes 
to  exert  a  moral  influence  amongst  the  laborers  on  the 
great  Panama  Canal?  To  our  International  Commit- 
tee. To  whom  does  the  Japanese  Government  turn  for 
moral  influence  amongst  its  army  and  navy?  To  our 
International  Committee.  To  whom  do  the  mission- 
aries in  Japan,  China,  and  India  and  the  brethren  in 
Australia  turn?  To  the  members  of  the  modern 
Association." 

His  Alma  Mater  he  held  in  deep  affection  and  in 
the  message  written  to  his  classmate,  Frederic  Baker, 
he  urges  the  fellows  of  his  student  days  to  stand  for 
Christian  principles.  Mr.  Stokes  made  a  liberal  be- 
quest to  New  York  University  to  provide  a  course  of 
annual  lectures : 

"The  long  line  of  distinguished  names  that  mark 
our  record  in  law,  theology,  and  the  liberal  arts  has 
shown  what  the  University  has  been  and  what  it  has 
done  for  the  youth  of  our  city  and  our  country.  What 
we  need  now  is  that  our  graduates  shall  rise  and  fill 
the  places  made  vacant  by  these  honored  men. 


194  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"When  the  times  ;iik1  manners  of  men  have  so 
changed  that  our  old  standards  of  honor  and  honestj' 
seem  almost  obsolete,  when  solemn  contract  means 
mere  personal  convenience,  there  is  surely  the  best 
opportunity  for  onr  graduates  to  step  forth  and  show 
manly  Christian  principle.  It  should  not  be  forgotten 
that  when  tliis  institution  was  founded,  it  was  intended 
to  be  a  source  of  Christian  education,  the  subject  of 
unsectarian  public  schools  having  begun  to  be  agitated 
about  that  time,  and  that  it  was  intended  that  our 
foundation  should  be  non-sectarian  but  giving  to  j'Oung 
men  the  true  standard  of  the  highest  religious 
character." 

These  sentences  from  a  long  letter  to  an  Italian  stu- 
dent preparing  for  physical  work  in  Italy  are  illumi- 
nating and  reflect  as  well  the  exhaustiveness  with  which 
he  entered  into  the  plans,  preparation,  and  personal 
life  of  each  of  the  young  men  he  had  constantly  in 
training  for  the  secretaryship  abroad : 

"You  know  that  if  Europe  is  to  be  reached,  it  can- 
not be  reached  entirely  by  American  secretaries,  it 
must  be  by  native,  or  native  born,  or,  like  yourself, 
American  born  of  foreign  parents.  So  junr  trip  abroad 
this  summer  is  a  most  serious  one — only  God  knows 
what  it  will  result  in.  If  you  are  successful  in  this 
difficult  season  of  the  year,  when  so  many  are  away,  it 
will  give  hope  for  many  others  in  the  future,  who  will 
be  likely  to  go  to  different  i)arts  of  Europe.  The  only 
way  in  which  you  can  expect  success  will  be  by  con- 
stant prayer  and  communion  with  your  heavenly 
Father.  I  cannot  think  of  any  greater  opportunity  for 
a  3'oung  man  of  Italian  parentage,  who  wishes  to  do 
something  in  this  world  for  his  Lord  and  Master. 

"If  the  Association  in  the  city  that  you  go  to  can 
be  made  a  model  one,  if  it  is  found  that  a  man  like 
yourself,  of  Italian  blood,  can  take  a  great  part  in  this 
work,  there  is  nothing  that  you  cannot  accomplish  in 
this  line.  .  .  .  The  financial  understanding  was  that  1 


MESSA(n:s,  li>:tti:rs,  and  ri: ports    11)5 

should  he  n'sponsihh^  lor  |;U)()  for  your  trij)  ahroad. 
Aside  Iroin  (he  lime  that  you  will  need  for  outfitting 
here  iu  this  city,  which  I  propose  to  do  to  a  certain 
extent  for  you,  every  moment  of  your  time  nntil  you 
sail  should  be  employed  in  talking  with  the  chief  sec- 
i-etaries  at  the  International  Committee's  offices,  and 
visiting  such  of  our  branches  as  you  can, 

^'You  know  why  you  are  going  abroad  and  what  may 
be  the  great  results  if  you  make  a  successful  trip. 

''It  is  no  use  to  attempt  to  teach  and  preach  a  reli- 
gion headed  by  a  good  and  philanthropic  man.  The 
religion  which  we  believe  in  in  our  Associations  is  that 
we  are  all  sinners  needing  a  Saviour,  and  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  that  divine  Saviour,  and  not  a  mere  philan- 
thropist or  good  man  like  Gladstone,  or  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, or  even  Buddha,  or  Confucius.  The  religion  of 
service  is  not  a  religion  of  salvation. 

''Commending  you  to  a  kind  Providence  and  asking 
that  you  will  nuike  me  a  report  before  you  go." 

He  could  hit  hard  when  there  was  need  of  hitting  and 
say  forcibly  what  he  thought  ought  to  be  said,  but  the 
blows  were  struck  in  love — the  faithful  "wounds  of  a 
friend" — and  he  rounded  out  his  arraignment  in  the 
following  letter  with  his  characteristic  kindness,  mak- 
ing suggestion  and  provision  for  comfort  and  con- 
venience : 

"I  feel  at  liberty  to  say  some  words  very  plainly  to 
you.  There  was  no  necessity  for  you  to  send  me  a  cable, 
telling  me  the  Board  would  decide  in  three  days,  and 
you  know  that  you  did  wrong,  and  disobeyed  my  direc- 
tions, and  there  is  no  need  to  attempt  to  shift  the  re- 
sponsibility on  to  anyone  else.  ...  I  cannot  understand 
how  you  ventured  to  do  such  a  thing,  and  how  you 
could  think  it  right  to  do  it  without  any  order  from 
me.  As  to  the  statistics,  I  send  you  copies  of  the  sheets 
gotten  up  by  the  International  Committee  such  as  I 
supposed  you  were  to  use  at  Springfield,  but  which  j^ou 


196  JAMES  STOKES— 1» ION EER 

liave  never  used  with  me.  Yon  and  the  treasurer  can 
easily  make  up  a  book  from  these  slips,  and  send  me 
such  statistics  as  should  properly  appear.  The  cost 
of  your  voyage  I  am  not  responsible  for.  I  trust  you 
got  your  trunk  all  right,  as  i  take  it  to  be  rather  a 
dangerous  thing  to  send  one  through  your  railways.  I 
sent  you  the  210  francs  you  askod  for.  I  believe  I  sent 
you  your  regular  sahiry  all  along.  I  have  already 
brought  one  man  to  America  at  your  suggestion,  and 
have  spent  over  $1,000  on  him.  You  know  the  result. 
I  was  told  the  other  day  (I  do  not  know  how  truly) 
that  he  has  conscientiously  joined  the  Unitarian 
Church. 

"I  notice  in  your  letter  a  tone  of  complaint  and 
dissatisfaction,  and  that  is  why  I  write  to  you  so 
plainly,  and  because  I  want  to  know  whether  you  are 
going  to  stand  by  the  work  until  somebody  else  can 
be  properly  educated  to  take  your  place.  I  do  not  hold 
you  responsible  fully,  from  the  fact  that  the  Associa- 
tion did  little  or  nothing  until  I  made  them  this  offer 
of  paying  half  of  the  deficits.  I  remind  you  again  of 
what  the  Association  can  do  when  it  is  pressed  to  do  it. 
I  need  not  remind  ycm  I  have  been  the  chief  supporter 
of  this  work  which  I  did  not  go  into  of  my  own  accord, 
and  of  which  you  have  been  supposed  to  be  the  respon- 
sible secretary.  .  .  . 

"I  think  you  need  someone  to  say  just  what  I  have 
to  you,  and  having  said  it,  I  will  say  you  have  been  a 
great  comfort  to  me  in  many  ways,  because  I  think 
you  mean  to  be  a  true  man.  I  do  have  confidence  in 
you,  and  do  value  your  thoughts  of  me  and  your  prayers 
which  I  need  very  much.  .  .  .  Your  office  and  the  sitting 
room  should  certainly  be  heated.  Now  let  us  have  all 
the  encouragement  you  can,  and  make  the  work  en- 
couraging, for  I  need  all  the  encouragement  possible." 

For  the  French  Branch  of  the  New  York  City  Asso- 
ciation, in  the  organization  of  which  he  was  the  prime 
mover  and  also  donor  of  its  building,   he  had  large 


MESRACJES,  LETTERS,  AND  KE1»0RTS     107 

expectations  not  only  for  its  service  in  New  York  City 
but  as  the  radiating  center  for  a  work  for  French 
young  men  in  America  and  to  furnish  secretaries  for 
Associations  abroad.  To  the  president  of  the  new 
Association  lie  outlines  this  well-thought-out  and  chal- 
lenging policy : 

''I  have  never  quite  understood  how  I  got  into  the 
French  work  or  why  I  got  into  it.  It  does  seem  as  if 
Providence  had  some  work  for  us  to  do  at  times  for 
which  He  gives  us  no  reason  at  all.  Will  you  permit 
me  to  make  a  few  suggestions  as  to  the  policy  of  the 
xissociation  ? 

*'When  the  Association  was  founded,  it  was  in  con- 
nection with  the  starting  of  an  Association  and  build- 
ing in  France,  in  the  hope  that  the  New  York  organiza- 
tion would  serve  as  a  school  for  future  secretaries  for 
France,  Belgium,  and  Switzerland,  or  all  French- 
speaking  countries,  and  that  it  might  gather  together 
in  some  way  not  only  the  French-speaking  young  men 
in  New  York,  but  that  it  might  also  reach  the  French- 
speaking  Canadians  in  New  England  and  elsewhere 
and  eventually  the  Canadian  provinces  themselves.  The 
numl)er  of  French-speaking  people  in  New  York  City 
was  found  to  be  larger  than  would  warrant  a  building 
in  any  American  town  of  smaller  proportions,  so  that 
the  work  in  this  city  alone  might  usefully  claim  our 
attention. 

"I  have  to  suggest : 

"First:  That  we  make  ourselves  more  known  among  the 
better  class  of  families  as  furnishers  of  employes,  thereby 
exciting  the  interest  of  these  families  and  eventually  their 
donations. 

"Second:  That  we  resume  or  continue  our  visitation  of  the 
hospitals  and  distribution  of  flowers. 

"Third:  That  we  make  strenuous  efforts  to  search  out  useful 
young  men  for  secretaries  who  are  imbued  with  American 
spirit  but  who  have  served  their  due  time  in  the  army  and 
must  spend  some  time  at  least  in  our  training  school. 

"Fourth:  That  we  make  an  enumeration  of  the  French- 
speaking  people  in  this  city  and  throughout  the  country. 

"Fifth:  That  we  put  ourselves  thoroughly  in  correspondence 


10S  JAMES  STOKES— PTOXEER 

with  all  the  French  and  Canadian  centers  in  New  England 
and  elsewhere,  especially  the  American  Associations  where 
there  is  a  chance  of  a  French  Branch. 

"Sixth:  That  we  begin  correspondence  at  once  with  Canada, 
as  it  may  be  necessary  to  start  an  Association  there. 

"Seventh:  That  we  see  that  the  correspondence  is  kept  up, 
if  it  has  not  already  been  done,  with  all  foreign  organizations 
with  whom  we  should  have  affiliations. 

"Eighth:  To  begin  all  this  immediately. 

"I  think  that  the  above  facts  are  needed  for  our 
work,  that  if  our  work  progresses  it  must  include  the 
above  measures,  and  that  if  we  all  thoroughly  under- 
stand that  we  are  working  for  detinite  results,  it  will 
help  our  work  and  make  it  much  easier.  I  hope  to 
meet  you  tomorrow  at  the  committee  meeting,  and  that 
you  will  liave  lliought  over  these  things  and  be  ready 
to  make  some  expression  of  your  views.  I  trust  that 
I  do  not  seem  too  presumptuous  in  all  these  sug- 
gestions." 

In  writing  of  Sir  George  Williams  and  of  their  inti- 
mate relations  throughout  his  lifetime  he  presents  a 
picture  of  the  Grand  Old  Man  of  the  Association  and 
makes  it  a  text  against  education  that  educates  a  man 
away  from  Christ : 

"I  never,  never  can  forget  above  all,  his  prayers,  for 
I  never  went  to  his  business  office,  but  what  he  close<l 
the  door,  kneeled  down  with  me,  and  talked  with  God 
about  it  all,  and  took  from  his  great  pile  of  religious 
books,  which  he  kept  in  his  office,  and  gave  me  a  little 
memento  of  my  call.  Can  I  ever  forget  him  talking 
about  the  work  in  which  we  were  interested? 

"Sir  George  Williams  knew  the  secret  of  success, 
just  as  Miller  of  Cincinnati,  and  Kobert  McBurney  of 
New  York,  and  a  host  of  able  Association  secretaries 
know  it.  The  secret  of  the  success  of  these  men  was 
on  their  knees  before  God,  asking  His  guidance  and 
direction,  but  this  they  would  not  have  done  had  they 
not  found  it  from  Sir  George,  a  true  foundation  of 
successful    faith,    namely,    that    the    blood    of    Christ 


MESSAGES,  LETTERS,  AND  KEPOKTS     100 

cleanseth  from  every  sin.  He  got  down  on  his  knees 
after  he  found  Christ,  and  began  rejoicing.  In  the 
case  of  salvation  we  have  first  got  to  confess  ourselves 
as  miserable  sinners,  or  there  is  no  redemption,  and 
this  personal  redenii)tion  is  by  a  (Jod  Almighty,  and  not 
by  a  mere  god  man. 

''For  myself,  I  express  a  great  prejudice  against  theo- 
logical schools.  I  have  two  degrees  from  my  own  uni- 
versity, and  perhaps  am  entitled  to  another.  Surely 
I  am  not  averse  to  education.  My  grandfather  was  the 
founder,  or  promoter  of  this  kind  of  school.  His  son 
saved  it  in  a  crisis.  His  grandson  has  richly  endowed 
it.  1  shall  never  forget  a  worthy  clergyman,  who  came 
down  from  Hartford  to  speak  at  our  old  church,  when 
I  think  the  old  pastor  was  acting  as  president  of  a 
theological  seminary,  which,  by  the  by,  contained  the 
most  devoted  and  worthy  professors.  1  remember  the 
pulpit,  just  as  the  old  clergyman  stood  up,  a  big  man, 
who,  1  think,  had  at  one  time  been  a  blacksmith,  and 
he  literally  expounded  on  the  great  velvet  cushion, 
which  covered  the  pulpit,  what  he  had  to  say.  Turn- 
ing to  the  pastor,  he  said,  'With  all  respect  to  our  dear 
brother,  I  think  that  seven  years  of  education  is 
enough  to  knock  the  religion  out  of  any  young  man,' 
and  so  it  is,  unless  he  has  the  religion  and  salvation 
of  Christ  opened  in  his  heart,  his  soul,  and  his  life. 
For  this  reason,  1  am  especially  in  favor  of  the  Fellow- 
ship Plan  as  projected  by  C.  K.  Ober,  of  educating 
secretaries,  so  they  may  have  dealings  with  the  prac- 
tical questions  of  young  men,  and  when  they  have 
known  how  to  reach  these  questions  through  experience 
in  the  Association,  they  will  go  to  some  Bible  school, 
or  possibly  to  a  theological  school  (for  a  short  time 
only)  to  finish  their  education  as  secretaries." 

To  his  old  friend  Robert  Weidensall  on  his  eightieth 
birthday,  he  thus  opens  his  heart,  troubled  about  pres- 
ent-day trends : 

"You  are  eighty  3'ears  young  on  the  20th  of  this 


200  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

month,  but  as  I  am  your  senior  in  the  work  I  shall 
adopt  a  paternal  attitude.  How  well  I  remember  the 
Albany  convention  where  the  sainted  Thane  Miller 
presided  and  where  the  present  International  Commit- 
tee was  constituted!  I  am  the  oldest  member  remain- 
ing, and,  I  think,  the  last  of  those  who  constituted  the 
Committee.  At  the  first  meeting,  I  believe  I  was 
elected  one  of  the  volunteer  secretaries.  Soon  we  con- 
sulted about  a  good  young  man  who  had  been  working 
on  the  railroad  for  the  blaster  and  the  men.  You  have 
been  working  for  the  Master  and  the  men  ever  since, 
dear  Robert.  You  have  always  been  young  with  fresh 
and  new  ideas  for  His  service.  No  other  secretary  that 
I  know  of  has  been  like  you  in  this  respect.  Sometimes 
I  did  not  agree  with  you  in  your  plans,  but  I  lived  to 
learn  that  you  knew  best.  Your  idea  was  a  thought 
from  God. 

"Not  long  ago  I  was  asked  to  lead  a  reform  move- 
ment in  our  Association,  What  does  this  mean,  dear 
Robert?  Does  it  mean  that  the  work  which  you  and  I 
helped  to  start,  and  which  we  believed  and  still  believe 
was  founded  of  God,  is  threatened  with  destruction? 
All  work  of  this  kind  when  it  has  become  successful, 
rich,  and  prosperous,  becomes  a  shining  mark  for  the 
Devil. 

"We  know  what  'modern  culture'  is  doing  for 
Europe,  an<l  recently,  when  song  and  dance,  tobacco 
and  gambling  have  claimed  some  of  the  so-called  'soci- 
ety leaders,'  some  of  the  good  women  of  at  least  one 
of  our  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations,  have 
opened  a  class  to  teach  girls  how  to  dance  decently 
the  modern  lascivious  and  disgusting  dances.  Perhaps 
there  is  some  need  for  men  who  are  founders  like  you 
and  me,  to  lift  up  our  voices  and  cry  aloud;  or  perhaps 
you  might  be  right  in  saying  that  we  can  only  cry 
aloud  to  God  Almighty  for  His  salvation.  That  is 
exactly  it;  the  Christ  whom  we  have  loved  and  served 
so  many  j-ears  can  alone  save  the  Associations,  which 
bear  His  name.  Some  day  (may  it  be  long  I)  we  shall 
say  good  night,  and  then  good  morning,  dear  brother." 


MERSACKS,  LETTERS,  AND  REPORTS     201 

With  the  teudcr  solicitude  of  a  father  and  with  the 
sense  of  a  patriarch  having  the  right  to  speak,  Mr, 
Stokes  sent  a  ringing  and  lengthy  message  to  the  Inter- 
national Convention  at  Cleveland  in  1910  which  made 
a  deep  impression  upon  the  delegates. 

The  opening  sentence  was,  *'I  remember  that  I  called 
to  order  the  last  Convention  held  in  Cleveland,  and  L 
then  said,  'You  are  gathered  here  in  the  name  of  the 
Master  to  carry  forward  one  of  the  greatest  Christian 
enterprises  started  in  this  generation  or  century,'  "  and 
from  the  message  these  paragraphs  are  taken : 

"What  has  become  of  our  Sabbath?  My  sainted 
mother  used  to  take  me  by  myself  and  read  the  Prov- 
erbs, with  tender  prayer  and  care,  and  niglit  and  morn- 
ing there  was  family  worship  with  my  father  leading. 
Sabbath  was  a  sacred  day,  not  for  recreation,  but  for 
re-creation  and  quiet  thought.  There  can  be  no  harm 
from  physical  exercises  on  that  day,  but  if  it  is  going 
to  be  made  a  day  simply  for  recreation  and  enjoyment 
and  keeping  our  thoughts  seven  days  of  the  week  on 
this,  we  have  let  down  our  moral  standard,  so  that  the 
noisy  baseball,  the  theaters,  and  places  of  amusement 
can  thrive,  and  they  do  thrive.  Those  of  us  who  have 
studied  conditions  abroad,  conditions  of  morality  and 
immorality,  are  not  surprised  at  the  fearful  showings 
of  immorality  among  the  troops  which  are  brought  out 
in  the  present  war.  They  also  know  that  for  years  the 
foreign  schools  have  pushed  their  Kultur  to  such  an 
extent  that  tliey  have  minimized  Christ  to  a  mere  indi- 
vidual, and  question  His  supernatural  birth.  Of  course 
this  does  away  with  the  Saviour  tliat  we  used  to  know, 
but  what  is  the  use  of  a  Saviour  anyhow,  when  the 
preaching  of  sin  is  superseded  by  moral  and  ethical 
discourses?  Sin  is  sin,  and  we  know  it  in  our  own 
minds  and  the  minds  of  others  with  whom  we  come  in 
contact.  If  some  means  are  not  provided  to  stop  and 
denounce  the  desecration  and  defamation  of  the  name 
we  bear,  we  shall  be  held  responsible  by  the  Almighty. 


202  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"I  have  spoken  about  the  seriousness  of  our  national 
situation.  How  in  this  world  can  we  brinj;  together 
the  different  nationalities  which  recently  have  been 
showing  to  some  extent  that  they  consider  their  first 
duty  to  their  fatherland  rather  than  to  their  adopted 
country.  Only  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  can  do  it  and 
Ilis  teachings  must  prevail  or  our  country  will  be 
rent  asunder.  I  am  glad  that  the  spirit  of  prayer  is 
invoked  for  our  coming  convention.  AVe  need  it  very, 
very  badly,  we  need  it  constantly,  we  need  prevailing 
prayer,  and  we  need  a  thousand  evangelists  like  dear 
Moody  to  preach  the  everlasting  Gospel  throughout 
the  country. 

"My  highest  wisli  for  you  is  that  Christ,  who  saved 
and  helped  my  dear  friend,  (Jeorge  Williams,  our  foun- 
der, and  the  multitude  of  workers  in  this  greatest 
Christian  movement  the  generation  has  known,  shall 
become  your  Saviour,  shall  lead  you  back — if  you  have 
fallen  away — to  the  ways  of  simple  faith  and  Christ- 
like living." 

To  his  friend  Count  Pourtales  on  his  election  as 
president  of  the  Paris  Association  he  sent  this 
message : 

*'I  want  to  tell  you  how  delighted  I  was  to  hear  of 
your  election  as  president  of  the  Association.  Your 
social  position  and  standing  in  every  way  will  be  help- 
ful to  the  Association.  Your  experience  and  judgment 
will  be  most  useful.  On  the  other  hand,  I  know  that 
you  appreciate  the  high  honor  done  you,  for  it  is  a 
position  that  will  grow  more  and  more  in  usefulness, 
and  will  give  you  an  opportunity  in  time  to  come  to 
guide  the  lives  and  characters  of  the  young  men  of 
your  native  land.  What  a  high  honor  God  gives  you, 
and  what  a  vast  opportunity  and  responsibility! 

"Apparently,  for  the  last  twenty-five  years,  they  have 
been  encouraging  the  building  tip  of  denominational 
Associations.    We  claim,  in  America,  in  England,  and 


MESSAGES,  LETTERS,  ANT)  REI'ORTS     20:5 

elsewhere,    this   is   the    niinalioii   of   our   unsectarian 
organization. 

''As  to  our  dear  brother  Sauttei*  (the  secretary), 
how  can  we  say  enough  about  him?  How  faithliill 
How  devoted!  How  untiring  he  has  been  I  God  will 
suri'ly  bless  him,  and  in  future  years,  when  others  speak 
of  the  work  of  tlie  Association,  he  will  take  a  very 
high  stand  amongst  the  founders  of  this  great  and  use- 
ful organization." 

To  Howard  Williams,  son  of  Sir  George  Williams, 
he  wrote : 

''The  more  I  consider  your  father's  life,  the  more 
I  am  impressed  with  it,  and  with  one  or  two  things: 
First,  a  man  should  think  great  tho\ights.  Second,  we 
should  do  little  actions  well.  I  do  not  believe  your 
father  realized  what  he  was  doing,  or  what  it  would 
come  to,  when  he  started  the  Association.  He  was 
simply  doing  the  work  that  came  to  his  hand  as  well 
as  he  knew  liow ;  but,  above  all,  doing  it  with  the  idea 
of  the  glory  of  (iod  in  all  things.  Now,  that  is  all  there 
is  in  this  life,  and  such  ideals  and  such  conduct  makes 
life  worth  living. 

"'May  God  give  you  grace  and  wisdom,  my  dear  fel- 
low, to  follow  worthily  in  your  father's  footsteps,  so 
that  when  you  come  to  die  you  may  feel  that  life  has 
been  worth  living." 

A  letter  written  to  Mr.  Alfred  Brugmaun,  Brussels, 
Belgium,  shows  how  Mr,  Stokes  was  alwaj^s  seeking  to 
enlist  national  leaders  of  potential  character: 

''I  had  hoped  that  your  brother  would  become  the 
Alfred  Andi-e  of  Belgium,  as  Mr.  Andre  had  beeti  the 
leader  in  France.  For  many  years  1  have  known  this 
work  all  over  the  world.  There  is  no  other  organiza- 
tion so  magnificent  and  useful.  If  we  save  and  keep 
the  young  men,  we  save  the  nation. 

"There  is  no  other  society  which  reaches  young  men 


204  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

of  every  class,  or  which  is  so  catholic  that  it  admits  all 
young  men  of  whatever  denomination  to  its  benefits. 
But  death  has  come  to  yonr  brother,  and  has  left  you 
tlie  great  opportunity  of  carrying  out  his  kindly 
tlioughts  and  designs.  That  God  may  give  you  grace 
to  do  all  this  is  my  sincere  prayer." 

He  could  be  blunt,  bold,  and  brotherly,  but  he  would 
never  deny  his  allegiance  to  Jesus  Christ  nor  cease  to 
be  indignant  over  a  denial  of  His  divinity : 

"To  my  mind  you  are  catering  to  insidious  Unitarian 
views  or  modern  Kultur,  whichever  you  choose  to  call 
it,  which  has  already  worked  so  much  harm  and  is 
working  infinite  harm  in  our  theological  seminaries 
and  churches. 

"I  have  just  been  issuing  an  address  as  the  oldest, 
or  one  of  the  oldest  Association  workers  and  office 
holders,  in  which  I  have  pled  for  a  return  to  Christ, 
to  the  Jesus  whom  we  used  to  know,  whom  St.  John 
knew  (see  John  1:1  and  1  John  5:12),  whom  doubt- 
ing Peter  came  finally  to  know  (Acts  10:3(5;  4:12), 
and  whom  Paul  knew  (Col.  2:9).  We  have  just  been 
reading  Matthew  27,  ending  with  Judas  Iscariot's  be- 
trayal of  his  Lord  and  Master.  I  do  not  want  to  say 
anything  cruel  or  unkind,  but,  my  dear  friend,  if  I 
sent  you  any  money  for  the  use  of  your  committee,  in 
the  face  of  your  last  report,  I  should  feel  like  one  of 
those  who  gave  those  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  Judas." 

To  Jim  Burwick,  tlie  rugged  Northwestern  freight 
conductor  who  "rawhided"  box  cars  summers  to  make 
a  living,  and  conducted  evangelistic  services  winters 
among  railroad  men  to  make  life  worth  living,  he  sends 
this  message.  From  the  first  days  when  he  met  big- 
hearted  Henry  Stager  he  held  the  rough  and  ready 
railroad  man  in  higli  esteem.  He  knew  that  the  only 
man  to  reach  railroad  men  was  a  railroad  man : 


Mi':ssA(Ji:s,  li:tti:ks,  and  kiotokts    205 

"I  approciate  your  kiud  words  and  as  I  grow  older 
I  also  appreciate  the  j;reat  foundation  on  which  our 
Association  is  built,  namely,  belief  in  the  essential 
truths  of  tlie  Bible  and  in  the  scheme  of  salvation, 
which  means  sin,  salvation,  and  a  Saviour.  Some  smart 
young  fellows  and  others  have  decided  that  the  Bible 
is  not  quite  what  it  ought  to  be  and  they  spend  more 
time  in  finding  out  what  it  is  not,  than  what  it  is.  It 
is  easy  to  stick  pins  into  anything,  but  1  do  not  believe 
they  can  injure  our  Bible  by  any  of  their  foolish  talk 
and  actions. 

"But  it  has  injured  a  great  many  young  men  and 
it  has  crept  into  our  Associations  in  some  places,  and 
into  one  or  more  of  our  schools.  I  take  the  ground 
that  if  there  is  no  sin,  then  there  is  no  need  of  salva- 
tion or  a  Saviour;  and  what  is  the  use  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  anyhow  in  that  case? 
There  lies  the  foundation  of  all  our  work  and  all  my 
work.    May  God  bless  and  keep  you  in  it." 

He  wrote  to  T.  S.  McPheeters,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  on  the 
twenty-Hfth  anniversary  of  his  service  as  chairman 
of  the  Missouri  State  Committee : 

"Now  twenty-five  years  may  not  seem  so  long  to  an 
elderly  young  man  like  myself,  for  I  began  in  the  work 
as  a  boy,  and  can  even  remember  the  rise  and  fall,  or 
rather  the  fall  and  rise  of  our  Association  before  it 
came  to  its  present  prominence;  and  I  also  know  the 
magnificence  of  its  conception  and  accomplishments ; 
so  I  can  talk  to  you  like  a  father  in  Israel. 

"You  have  matched  the  years,  or  within  a  few  years 
of  the  time  that  Mr.  Brainerd  gave  in  honest  and  ear- 
nest service  as  chairman  of  our  International  Commit- 
tee. Of  this  Committee,  I  am  now  the  oldest  member 
in  continuous  service,  though  not  the  oldest  in  age; 
and  so  I  feel,  my  dear  friend,  that  I  have  a  special 
right  to  congratulate  you  upon  the  fine  and  earnest 
service  you  have  given  to  the  Master. 

"What  a  jo}'!     What  a  glorious  opportunity!     Has 


20«  JAMES  STOKES— ri()NEP:R 

it  not  been  the  liappiest  years  of  your  life?  Could  you 
have  spent  those  years  in  any  better  way,  with  any 
greater  return  of  life?  Perhaps,  I  have  known  more 
of  the  latter  tlian  comes  to  the  lot  of  most  men;  but  I 
count  my  work  in  the  Association  amongst  my  highest 
happiness. 

"It  cannot  be  a  great  many  years,  my  dear  friend, 
before  you  and  I  will  be  summone<l  before  Him  who 
has  presided  over  our  life  during  all  these  years.  May 
it  be  ours  to  hear  Him  say:  'Well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.'  " 

This  touching  letter  to  Thomas  K.  Cree,  his  old 
friend  and  fellow-pioneer,  on  his  retirement  from  the 
International  Committee,  is  a  re-declaration  of  his 
purpose  and  master  life  passion,  surcharged  with  a 
dominant  note  of  thanksgiving: 

"It  brings  the  tears  to  my  eyes  to  hear  from  you 
that  you  have  at  last  resigned  from  the  Committee.  I 
think  of  the  blessed  memories  which  you  recall.  The 
days  are  going  by  and  I  am  no  longer  a  young  man. 
When  I  see  the  blessed  work  and  the  blessed  memories 
and  the  sacred  foundations  of  our  dear  Association 
assailed  by  silly  and  metaphysical  child's  talk,  then  all 
the  fire  of  my  youth  comes  back. 

"I  think  of  the  sacred  names  with  which  you  and  I 
were  associated  and  I  am  determined  to  do  what  I  can 
before  I  die  to  keep  the  Association  in  the  straight  and 
narrow  way.  I  little  knew  what  God  was  leading  me 
to  as  I  gradually  grew  up  in  connection  with  the  Inter- 
national Committee.  I  see  now,  better  than  I  did  then, 
what  He  was  preparing  me  for,  and  I  am  thankful 
for  it." 


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XV 

'THE  HAPPIEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE" 

On  May  2.S,  1917,  Mr.  Stokes  was  seventy-six  years 
old.  The  weight  of  age,  his  long  fight  with  asthma,  the 
grief  over  the  raging  war,  his  heartbreak  for  the  suf- 
fering people  of  his  loved  Europe,  the  strain  of  anx- 
iety over  his  cherished  Association  had  told  ui)on  him. 
Few  of  the  "Old  Guard"  were  left;  he  had  seen  his 
earliest  associates  of  the  first  generation,  and  many  of 
the  second,  pass  over.  The  battle  was  on  and  he  was 
not  in  the  van  with  the  fighters.  His  heart  was  in  the 
fight  and  no  far-flung  battle  line  struggled,  swayed, 
and  swept  on,  but  his  eye  scanned  the  dispatches  and 
his  supplies  of  funds  and  faith  sustained  the  fighters. 
He  had  provided  the  first  hut  for  the  allied  prisoners 
of  war  in  Austria  and  it  was  a  comfort  to  him  in  his 
isolation  that  he  could  be  the  host  to  20,000  suffering 
men  in  their  woe  and  want.  It  was  a  joy  to  him  to 
hear  that  members  of  the  Mayak  in  \nadivostok,  5,000 
miles  away  from  Petrograd,  had  formed  a  fellowship 
and  were  "carrying  on,"  and  to  be  told  that  the  de- 
pendable men  the  American  secretaries  drew  upon  to 
serve  with  them  in  those  box-car  traveling  canteens  at 
tortured  Russian  fronts  and  good  will  centers  were 
those  who  had  been  members  of  and  had  caught  the 
spirit  of  the  old  Mayak. 

He  felt  himself  to  be  helping  to  play  the  host  in  the 
1,400  Foyer  du  Soldats  which  were  furnishing  comfort 
and  cheer  to  the  French  and  Italian  young  men  and 
he  rejoiced  that  the  American  Associations  were  rush- 
ing supplies  and  workers  without  stint  into  the  war- 

207 


208  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

torn  areas.  It  brought  him  satisfaction  to  know  that 
the  Association  building  at  the  Rue  de  Trevise  in  Paris 
was  transformed  into  a  hospital  directed  by  his  friend, 
Count  Pourtales,  President  of  the  Freucli  Associations, 
and  that  the  building  in  Rome  was  taking  its  part  in 
national  soldier  ministry. 

Yet  the  old  war  eagle  was  depressed  and  lonely  in 
his  New  York  mansion.  He  longed  for  the  touch  and 
thrill  of  that  old  fellowship  of  the  brotherhood.  Word 
had  been  i)assed  among  friends  who  had  known  him 
or  known  his  name,  and  a  sheaf  of  letters  which  had 
been  gathered  was  left  at  his  home  on  the  morning  of 
his  sevent^'-sixth  birthday,  together  with  resolutions 
and  a  bouquet  of  seventy-six  roses  from  his  fellow- 
New  York  directors.  Early  in  the  afternoon  a  tele- 
phone call  came  to  the  friend  who  was  responsible  for 
the  letters  and  a  voice  choked  with  emotion  said,  "You 
have  given  me  the  happiest  day  of  mj^  life." 

Mr.  Stokes  had  reveled  in  the  messages  from  associ- 
ates of  the  years.  Appreciations  came  to  him  from 
younger  men  in  the  ranks,  as  well  as  those  of  the  old 
days,  recalling  with  full  hearts  the  inspiration  of  his 
life  and  appreciation  of  his  work.  In  the  quiet  of  his 
study  he  had  held  a  silent  reception  and  review. 

"Old  faces  look  upon  me, 
Old   forms   go   trooping   past." 

This  was  seventeen  months  before  his  death.  No 
victor  could  prize  more  highly  the  laurel  wreath  placed 
upon  his  brow.  He  knew  the  praise  was  not  fulsome, 
nor  were  the  letters  couched  in  fawning  flattery.  They 
were  sincere  and  spontaneous  and  they  carried  big 
satisfaction  to  the  veteran  who  knew  his  daj'S  were 
not  long.    He  was  then  setting  his  house  to  rights  and 


"THE  HAITIKST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      209 

loiniin;;  tliat  Society  to  wliiili  Iw.  would  commit  his 
estate  for  the  object  dear  to  his  life. 

Quoting  his  friend  of  early  days,  Heury  M.  Moore 
of  Massaciiusetts,  he  wrote  acknowledging  one  of  the 
letters,  "Moore  used  to  say  that  he  did  not  want  all 
his  flowers  on  his  coflln.  He  was  glad  of  a  bouquet 
along  the  way.  Thank  you,  my  dear  friend,  for  your 
kindly  words.  As  we  get  on  in  life  I  think  we  are  per- 
haps more  and  more  tempted  to  feel  discouragement  in 
the  day's  w^ork,  as  you  suggest,  but  if  we  could  only 
have  such  kindly  letters  as  you  know  how  to  write,  they 
would  not  only  cover  a  multitude  of  sins,  but  add  a  lot 
of  encouragement.-'  And  to  the  aged  leader  of  Brook- 
lyn, D.  W.  Mc Williams,  friend  and  associate  of  Moody, 
he  wrote :  "Such  recollections  of  having  done  something 
that  is  worth  while  bring  joy  and  comfort  to  me,  for 
that  is  all  there  is  in  life.  The  Lord  be  praised  for  the 
work  the  Association  is  doing  in  this  terrible  conflict. 
There  is  a  great  deal  we  sliall  have  to  do  after  the  war. 
I  am  far  from  being  strong  yet,  so  I  have  to  take  it 
easy  while  I  regain  my  strength." 

One  letter  contained  these  lines  of  Whittier's,  which 
reflect  his  satisfaction  from  the  ''coupons  cut  from  a 
life's  investment"  which  overwhelmed  him  with  their 
wealth  of  love  to  which  he  had  referred. 

". .  .w^ho  does  not  cast 
On  the  thronged  pages  of  his  memory's  book. 
At  times,  a  sad  and  lialf-reluctant  look. 

Regretful  of  the  past?  .  .  . 

"Yet  who,  thus  looking  backward  o'er  his  years. 
Feels  not   his  eyelids  w'et  with  grateful  tears, 

If  he  hath  been 
Permitted,  weak  and  sinful  as  he  was. 
To  cheer  and  aid,  in  some  ennobling  cause, 

His  fellow-men? 


210  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"If  he  hath  liidden  the  outcast,  or  let  in 
A  ray  of  sunshine  to  the  cell  of  sin; 

If  he  hath  lent 
Strength  lo  the  weak,  and,  in  an  hour  of  need, 
Over  the  suffering,  mindless  of  his  creed 

Or  home,  hath  bent ; 

"He  has  not  lived  in  vain,  and  while  he  gives 
The  praise  to  Him,  in  whom  he  moves  and  lives. 

With  tlumkful  heart ; 
He  gazes  backward,  and  with  hope  before. 
Knowing  that  from  his  works  he  never  more 
Can  henceforth  part." 

Could  anything  better  summarize  the  life  work  of 
our  friend  or  could  a  better  representation  be  given  of 
the  hosts  of  men  who  held  him  and  the  work  of  his 
lifetime  in  atiectionate  remembrance  than  is  reflected 
in  the  following  sentences  culled  from  the  scores  of 
letters  received  and  read  on  this  daj^? 

From  Henry  J.  McCoy,  the  veteran  "Bishop  of  the 
Coast,"  secretary  of  the  San  Francisco  Association : 

"You  may  not  recall  but  I  shall  never  forget  the  darkest  day 
in  my  life — the  day  after  the  great  earthquake  and  fire  in  San 
Francisco,  when  I  received  a  letter  from  you  from  Del  Monte 
inclosing  a  substantial  check  for  the  personal  relief  of  myself 
and  family.  We  cherished  the  letter  and  gift  but  more  the 
Christian  spirit  of  the  dear  friend  that  prompted  it. 

"You  doubtless  have  forgotten  many  of  the  things  that  you 
have  done  but  they  will  live  in  the  memory  of  many  and  many 
a  young  man  and  while  the  continent  separates  us,  I  am  not 
unmindful  of  your  friendly  Christian  spirit  manifested  in  so 
many  ways." 

From  F.  S.  Brockman,  National  Secretary  for  China 
and  Associate  International  Secretary : 

"Out  of  a  heart  full  of  gratitude  to  God  for  what  your  life 
has  meant  to  this  nation  and  other  parts  of  the  world,  I  drop 


"Tin:   IIAIM'IICST   I>AV  OF  MV  LIFE"      211 

this  note  of  congratulation.    May  you  be  spared  in  health  and 
strength  for  many  more  years  to  us. 

"You  have  all  these  years  stood  resolutely  for  the  things 
that  are  truest  in  our  faith.  The  awful  state  of  the  world  at 
the  present  time  is  an  eloquent  and  terrible  vindication  of  the 
truth  of  your  testimony." 

From  Kov.  Clans  Olandt,  pioneer  of  the  German 
branches : 

"If  all  of  your  friends  in  this  and  many  nations  knew  what 
day  this  is  today  they  would  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. 

"I  want  to  thank  you  most  heartily  for  what  you  have  been 
to  me  personally." 

From  Richard  C.  Morse,  his  early  associate,  the  vet- 
eran Consulting  General  Secretary  oi"  the  International 
Committee : 

"We  began  our  fellowship  in  Wyman's  School  on  Irving 
Place  sixty-six  years  ago!  How  little  wc  dreamed  then  of 
what  was  ahead  of  us  of  lifelong  fellowship  and  of  what  the 
little  city  of  that  day  was  to  become  during  our  tarrying  in  it 
from  the  beginning  even  unto  the  closing  years  of  long  life. 
Our  God  and  Saviour  has  indeed  been  good  and  gracious  to 
us  both  from  the  beginning  all  through  the  decades,  with  ever 
increasing  blessing — far,  far  beyond  any  sense  of  desert  from 
Him  on  our  part." 

From  Henry  S.  Ninde,  long-time  International  Sec- 
retary, retired  and  over  eighty  year.^  of  age : 

"Your  name  w^as  a  familiar  one  to  me  from  the  date  of  my 
first  Convention,  Washington,  1871.  And  those  were  grand 
days,  although  comparatively  the  day  of  small  things,  in  some 
ways;  but  there  was  possibly  a  closer  brotherhood  than  in 
these  days  of  large  numbers  and  great  material  progress.  You 
have  been  a  sort  of  foreign  extension  movement  all  by  your- 
self— they  know  James  Stokes  in  France  and  Russia  and  Italy 
nearly  as  well  as  they  do  in  America. 

"I  have  read  your  'Message'  with  great  interest;  I  share 
your  fears,  I  join  in  your  prayers,  but  I  am  trusting  that  the 
old  ship  will  yet  weather  the  storm  and  come  safely  into 
port." 


212  JAMES  STOKES— ITONEER 

From  George  T.  Coxhead,  many  years  General  Sec- 
retary at  St.  Louis : 

"It  is  not  alone  upon  longevity  that  I  congratulate  you,  but 
much  more  upon  the  very  useful  life  you  have  led. 

"In  the  ranks  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  you 
are  especially  loved  and  honored  for  your  life-long  interest  in 
the  great  cause  of  young  men." 

From  Walter  T.  Uiuck,  General  Secretary  of  the  New 
York  City  Association : 

"We  all  appreciate  you  for  what  you  are  and  for  what  you 
have  meant  to  the  young  men  of  the  world.  Your  life  of  devo- 
tion to  the  right  has  always  been  an  inspiration  to  me.  I  am 
glad  to  have  been  a  co-worker  with  you. 

"You  will  be  interested,  I  am  sure,  in  knowing  that  since 
January  first  we  have  had  333  decisions  for  Jesus  Christ  here 
at  the  West  Side  Branch.  So  far  60  of  them  have  joined 
churches  and  we  hope  to  have  many  more." 

From  his  old  friend,  John  L,  Wheat,  many  years 
chairman  of  the  Kentucky  State  Committee: 

"How  precious  the  memories  of  the  days  long  past,  but  by 
no  means  forgotten,  when  we  were  permitted  to  meet  occa- 
sionally as  fellow-workers  in  the  beloved  Y.  M.  C.  A.  fellow- 
ship, always  rejoicing,  giving  praise  and  thanksgiving  for  the 
work  being  accomplished. 

"I  beg  you  not  to  give  way  to  the  burdens  of  age,  the  in- 
firmities of  advancing  years.  Lean  on  the  strong  arm  by 
which  you  have  been  led  and  given  strength  and  wisdom  to 
accomplish  so  much  good  for  your  fellow  mortals  in  the  past." 

From  ''the  Beloved  Physician,"  Dr.  John  P.  Munn, 
Chairman  of  the  Railroad  Department : 

"If  you  could  have  been  out  at  Cleveland  with  us  at  the 
recent  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Convention  I  think  you  would  have  been 
greatly  pleased  with  all  that  took  place  there.  You  have 
doubtless  received  the  message  which  was  sent  you  by  the 
Convention  and  I  wish  to  say  I  appreciate  as  far  as  I  am  able 
to  do  so  all  that  you  have  done  to  further  the  usefulness  of 
the  brotherhood  ever  since  you  became  interested  in  it  many, 
many  years  ago. 


"THE  IIATMMEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      213 

"Permit  me  to  say  that  I  can  stand  your  friendship  as  long 
as  you  can  stand  mine." 

From  John  Glover,  Iriend  of  years,  and  Secretary  of 

the  International  Committee: 

"Perhaps  you  are  familiar  with  the  following  lines  by  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes.  They  seem  to  be  so  appropriate  that  I  ven- 
ture to  send  them  to  you  with  best  wishes  and  grateful  appre- 
ciation of  all  that  you  have  done  and  are  doing  to  extend  the 
Kingdom  among  young  men: 

" '  'Tis  yet  high  day,  thy  staff  resume, 
And  fight  fresh  battles  for  the  truth; 
For  what  is  age  but  youth's  full  bloom, 
A  riper,  more  transcendent  youth? 
A  weight  of  gold 
Is  never  old. 
Streams  broader  grow  as  downward  rolled. 

"'At  sixty -two  life  has  begun; 

At  seventy-three  begins  once  more; 
Fly  swifter  as  thou  near'st  the  sun. 
And  brighter  shine  at  eighty-four. 
At  ninety-five 
Shouldst    thou    arrive. 
Still  wait  on  God  and  work  and  thrive.' " 

From  his  relative,  F.  Louis  Slade,  a  leader  in  the 
War  Work  Council : 

"I  am  just  back  from  the  International  Convention  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  a  splendid  gathering  and  a  great  inspiration.  My 
thought  often  went  out  to  you,  to  your  long  years  of  service 
in  this  work,  to  the  special  pioneer  work  you  have  done,  to 
your  plunge  into  the  now  unlimited  Russian  field  (where  others 
feared  to  go),  to  your  high  ideals  for  the  Movement,  and  to 
your  splendid  results  achieved  by  your  lifelong  devotion  to 
this  particular  field. 

"Your  nephew  sometimes  speaks  lightly  to  his  Uncle,  and 
does  not  always  agree  with  him;  but  he  loves  him,  knov.'s  his 
affectionate  heart,  and  his  own  kindness  to  his  young  orphan 
nephew,  and  wants  to  write  to  tell  him  so." 

From  John  Sherman  Hoyt,  a  volunteer  worker,  of 
great  devotion  and  ability,  in  the  War  Work  Council: 


214  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

"It  must  be  a  real  satisfaction  to  see  the  results  of  your 
■work  iu  Russia,  for  from  what  Mr.  Gaylord  said,  the  results 
are  definite  and  very  far-reaching." 

From  D.  A.  Budge,  the  moviug  genius  for  many 
years  of  the  Canadian  Associations : 

"With  what  gratitude  of  heart  you  must  look  back  and 
thank  and  bless  His  name  for  all  the  way  He  has  led  you! 
And  also  for  the  part  he  has  permitted  you  to  take  in  the  exten- 
sion of  His  Kingdom! 

"These  are  surely  dark  days  upon  which  this  old  world  has 
fallen.  But  they  are  here  because  men  have  failed  to  carry  out 
His  program,  and  enshrine  Him  as  the  King  of  their  lives! 

"But  amidst  this  world  calamity  and  confusion,  may  your 
heart  be  cheered  as  you  journey  by  His  unfailing  word  of 
final  authority." 

From  W.  E.  Fenno,  Religious  Work  Secretary  for 
New  York  State: 

"Well,  Mr.  Stokes,  you  have  wrought  strongly  and  well  for 
your  city,  your  country,  and  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord.  And 
now  remain  the  years  of  quiet,  fretless,  cheerful  acceptance  of 
whatever  the  will  of  the  Father  may  bring.  Now  is  the  time 
to  slip  off  the  harness,  curry  out  the  sweat  wrinkles,  and  get 
out  into  the  rich  pasture  ground  of  postponed  pleasure  trips, 
enjoyment  of  long-deferred  hobbies,  harmless  crotchets,  and 
waiting  book  friends,  and,  not  at  all  to  be  neglected,  the  remem- 
brances of  friends  of  yesterday  and  the  love  of  those  of  today; 
of  thoughts  of  'work  done  squarely  and  unwasted  days.' 

"In  the  words  of  the  immortal  Rip  Van  Winkle:  Here's  to 
you  and  your  family.    May  you  live  long  and  prosper!" 

From  William  Knowles  Cooper,  General  Secretary, 
Washington,  D.  C. : 

"From  the  very  beginning  of  my  own  Association  career  I 
have  known  of  your  devoted  services  to  the  cause  of  Christ 
and  the  welfare  of  young  men.  Your  singleness  of  purpose  and 
your  generosity  have  been  an  inspiration  to  thousands.  You 
enjoy  the  affection  and  esteem  of  many  whose  names  you  will 
never  learn.  You  have  a  rich  treasure  that  cannot  be  taken 
from  you." 


"THE  HAPPIEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      215 

From  C.  K.  Ober,  Secretary  International  Com- 
mittee : 

"The  testimony  of  a  life  is  irresistible — especially  when 
that  life  has  been  true  to  high  ideals,  friendly,  constructive, 
consistent,  progressive.  Such  a  life  is  immortal,  not  merely 
living  in  the  memory  of  others  and  in  the  work  it  may  have 
accomplished,  but  in  the  fact  that  it  is  the  most  worth  while 
and  most  enduring  thing  in  the  universe,  the  thing  that  God 
is  not  likely  to  let  die. 

"We  are  grateful  to  God  for  what  He  has  done  for  you  and 
grateful  to  you  for  what  you  have  done  with  what  God  has 
given  you. 

"We  are  confident  that  your  best  experience  and  achieve- 
ment are  before  you,  for  the  Master  has  said,  'Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled   .    .    .   because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also.' " 

From  L.  Wilbur  Messer,  General  Secretary,  Chicago 
Association : 

"Your  sturdy  consistent  Christian  life,  generous  contribu- 
tions of  time  and  money  at  home  and  abroad,  emphasis  on 
Christian  and  Association  fundamentals,  have  all  together 
given  you  a  unique  and  vital  place  in  the  leadership  of  the 
Association  Movement.  Mrs.  Messer  appreciates  with  me  your 
confidence  and  friendship." 

From  ''Uncle"  Robert  Weideusall : 

"You  were  not  satisfied  with  helping  in  all  lines  of  Chris- 
tian work  in  North  America,  but  you  reached  out  beyond  to 
the  great  nations  that  stood  in  wonderful  need  of  such  help 
as  you  afforded.  All  the  leading  men  of  Prance,  and  of  Italy, 
and  of  Russia,  headed  by  their  rulers,  know  what  you  have 
done  in  those  countries  in  their  dire  need  for  the  things  that 
came  to  them  from  you.  Nor  were  you  merely  willing  to  send 
money  to  these  nations,  but  you  visited  them  personally,  stud- 
ied the  situations,  and  afforded  them  the  intelligent  and  most 
helpful  service  so  sorely  needed.  Billions  of  money  and  the 
lives  of  millions  of  young  men  are  now  being  spent  to  destroy 
nations,  but  your  contributions  were  made  for  the  uplift  and 
betterment  both  of  the  young  men  and  of  the  nations.  You 
will  never  know  the  unmeasured  and  beneficent  influences  of 
your  personal  and  material  contributions  to  these  nations  until 
it  will  be  revealed  to  you  in  eternity." 


21  f)  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

From  William  Hoge  Marquess,  of  the  Bible  Teachers' 

Training  School : 

"You  have  fought  the  good  fight  and  kept  the  faith  and 
served  youi*  own  generation  by  the  will  of  God  with  a  most 
loyal  and  unfaltering  devotion." 

From  John  R,  Mott,  General  Secretary,  Interna- 
tional Committee: 

"I  would  not  be  true  to  my  heart,  did  I  not  express  to  you 
from  its  very  depths  my  loving  greetings.  What  do  I  not  owe 
to  you  personally,  and  what  does  not  our  world-wide  move- 
ment among  young  men!  In  the  hands  of  God  you  have  been 
permitted  to  pioneer  some  of  the  most  important  phases  and 
developments  of  the  Association  Brotherhood,  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  It  has  been  given  to  few  men  to  initiate  more 
beneficent  and  Christlike  ministries." 

From  I.  E.  Brown,  State  Secretary  for  Illinois : 

"I  give  you  greeting  on  your  seventy-sixth  birthday.  Re- 
membering that  in  my  course  in  Association  History,  I  always 
mention  you  as  one  of  that  little  group  to  whom  at  the  Albany 
Convention  the  International  Committee  was  intrusted." 

From  his  legal  adviser,  Hon.  John  C.  Clark : 

"Very  few  men  know  as  I  do  the  hourly  thought  and  anx- 
ious care  which  you  give  to  this  service.  There  are  times  when 
the  conditions  seem  discouraging,  but  because  there  are  men 
who  believe  as  you  do  and  fight  as  you  do,  the  old  truths  still 
prevail,  and  will  continue  to  be  the  basis  of  Christian  civ- 
ilization." 

From  the  beloved  Canadian  leader,  John  Penman : 

"May  every  day  between  these  anniversaries  be  days  of  joy 
and  peace  lived  in  the  light  of  your  Master's  presence  and  in 
the  strength  and  wisdom  and  companionship  with  Him. 

"My  birthday  was  this  month  also  and  I  know  how  refresh- 
ing it  is  to  receive  renewed  tokens  of  friendship  and  fellow- 
ship from  those  with  whom  we  have  been  associated  for 
many  years." 

From  Edwin  J.  Gillies,  a  life-long  associate  director : 
"I  sav/  you  on  Tuesday,  May  9th,  at  the  City  Hall,  attending 


"THK  OAPI'IEST   DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      217 

the  Centennial  Meeting  of  the  American  Bible  Society.  My 
friend,  who  sat  beside  uie,  said,  'There's  James  Stokes,'  and  the 
mere  mention  of  your  name  recalled  to  my  mind  the  large 
amount  of  good  which  it  had  been  your  privilege  to  do  during 
your  life  time,  for  the  benefit  of  your  fellowmen. 

"Your  life  is  an  inspiration  to  us  all  to  do  our  best  wherever 
our  field  of  labor  is  cast." 

From  Charles  Gluts,  of  New  York  City: 

"What  a  source  of  contentment  springs  forth  to  one  who  is 
able  to  look  back  to  a  long  list  of  'Bicnfaits'  that  the  great 
Rewarder  has  chosen  him  to  accomplish.  All  your  friends  wish 
that  He  may  yet  keep  you  here  to  continue  the  work  for  many 
years,  and  bless  your  efforts." 

From  Edward  C.  Jenkins,  of  the  Foreign  Work  De- 
partment: 

"It  seems  to  me  that  to  live  seventy-five  years  is  a  big 
achievement  in  itself  and  you  have  many  other  causes  for 
congratulation  than  this  or  any  larger  number  of  birthdays. 
You  have  started  many  movements  which,  I  trust,  will  num- 
ber their  anniversaries  by  the  centuries.  The  chain  of  staunch 
friends  will  not  be  broken  even  in  eternity." 

From  Hon.  Henry  B.  F.  Macfarland,  Washington, 
D.  C: 

"I  send  you  most  hearty  congratulations  on  your  birthday, 
with  high  appreciation  of  all  you  have  accomplished  in  your 
life,  and  best  wishes  for  all  the  future. 

"You  have  done  a  great  service  in  your  country,  to  the  world, 
and  to  God,  for  which  v;e  are  all  grateful  and  which,  will  give 
you  joy  through  all  eternity." 

From  Paul  D.  Elsesser,  Minister,  formerly'  a  member 
of  the  French  Branch  : 

"With  my  best  wishes  for  a  happy  birthday,  I  take  the 
opportunity  to  thank  you  heartily  for  your  kind  interest  in 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  especially  in  our  French  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of 
New  York. 

"It  is  there,  as  you  know,  that  I  went,  at  first,  when  I  came 
to  America  December  31,  1893.  Being  without  any  friends  at 
the  time  in  New  York,  how  much  did  I  appreciate  the  cordial 
reception  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.    It  v»-a3  there,  too,  that  I  came  to 


218  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

the    knowledge    of    the    Lord    Jesus    Christ    as    my    personal 
Saviour." 

From  D.  W.  McWilliams,  honored  Brooklj-n  leader: 

"You  have  lived  in  the  most  interesting  period  of  this 
world's  history  and  it  has  been  given  to  you  from  above  to 
apprehend  that  for  which  you  have  been  apprehended  and  to 
improve  the  opportunities  of  service  for  God  and  for  men 
which  have  come  to  you. 

"You  have  builded  well  and  will  leave  enduring  monuments 
which  will  stand  the  test  of  time.  It  has  always  been  a  great 
joy  to  me  to  meet  you,  but  I  have  missed  you  of  late  years." 

From  Fred  S.  CJoodmau,  Secretary  International 
Committee : 

"It  makes  no  difference  which  year  it  celebrates;  after  a  man 
passes  fifty  the  only  question  worth  while  is,  has  he  made  a 
distinct  and  vital  addition  to  the  sum  total  of  human  welfare 
and  happiness?  You  have  made  many  such  additions,  and  I 
am  happy  to  have  the  privilege  of  saying  this  to  you  after 
having  known  you  so  well  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

"In  these  days  it  must  be  a  great  joy  to  you  that  our  dear 
Lord  gave  you  the  privilege  of  helping  to  begin  the  work  of 
the  International  Committee,  and  share  in  and  witness  its 
growth  up  to  its  fiftieth  anniversary  at  Cleveland. 

"Your  service  to  France,  Italy,  and  Russia  has  been  of 
eternal  meaning.  The  splendid  work  in  Petrograd,  which  you 
have  so  generously  supported,  came  to  the  minds  of  some  of 
the  men  who  listened  with  reverent  enthusiasm  and  pleasure 
to  the  wonderful  singing  of  the  Russian  Cathedral  choir  at  the 
Cleveland  Convention." 

From  R.  M.  Armstrong,  veteran  secretary  in  New 

England : 

"How  well  I  remember  your  visits  to  our  Y.  M.  C.  A.  state 
gatherings  in  the  days  of  Russell  Sturgis  and  H.  M.  Moore! 
And  tomorrow  will  be  your  birthday!" 

From  J.  S.  Tichenor,  International  Secretary,  Army 

Work : 

"We  are  all  hoping  you  will  be  entirely  restored  to  health 
and  able  to  resume  your  large  and  intelligent  relationship  to 
the  great  world  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 


"THE  HAPPIEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      21!) 

tion.  In  the  meantime,  remember  that  the  fact  that  you  are 
temporarily  laid  aside  is  not  a  matter  of  indifference  to  us 
who  have  watched  your  large  work  at  home  and  abroad  for 
the  young  men  of  the  present  generation." 

From  J.  Edgar  Leaycraft,  for  years  a  leader  in  the 
New  Y^'ork  City  Association  : 

"Few  men  can  look  back  upon  a  past  so  fraught  with  useful- 
ness and  helpfulness  to  his  fellowmen  and  particularly  young 
men  than  yourself.    It  must  be  a  pleasant  and  happy  memory." 

From  Kaymond  P.  Kaighn,  Secretary  International 
Committee : 

"Many  young  men  have  cause  to  thank  God  for  your  interest 
in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  You  have  also  made 
possible  an  enlargement  of  the  spiritual  and  material  life  of 
thousands  of  the  best  youth  of  France,  Russia,  and  America." 

From  James  McCormick,  leader  in  Harrisburg,  Pa.  : 

"Though  I  am  ten  years  older  than  you  I  seem  to  remember 
you,  and  the  work  you  have  done  so  well  will  never  be  forgot- 
ten. May  God  bless  you  in  your  declining  years  and  keep  you 
busy  and  useful." 

From  his  old  friend  and  associate  in  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  New  Y^ork  City  Association,  Samuel 
Sloane: 

"You  have  been  a  kind  friend  to  many  and  you  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  many  are  very  proud  to  call  you  their 
friend." 

From  his  fellow-director,  Hon.  Channcey  ^I.  Uepew : 
"Cordial  congratulations  and  many  happy  returns." 

From  Cyrns  H.  McCormick,  Chicago  leader: 

"As  one  of  those  who  have  been  associated  for  a  generation 
with  you  in  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  work,  and  who 
has  seen  the  wide  range  of  your  philanthropic  efforts,  I  send 
this  word  as  a  birthday  greeting." 


220  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

From  J.  M.  Main,  Vice-Chairman,  New  York  City 
Association : 

"It  has  been  your  good  fortune  to  have  a  vision  and  so  you 
have  been  not  only  a  'hearer'  but  a  'doer'  in  a  large  way  and 
as  such  you  surely  have  realized  the  full  meaning  of  what 
James  meant  when  he  wrote  that  such  a  man  'shall  be  blessed 
in  his  deed.'  " 

From  S.  P.  Fenn,  President  Cleveland  Association: 

"I  am  sure  your  name  is  heralded  to  the  ends  of  the  earth 
as  a  promoter,  an  efficient  and  persistent  promoter,  of  the 
best  interests  of  young  men  everywhere,  whether  of  the  Eng- 
lish language  or  the  most  remote  dialect  of  the  world." 

From  Charles  A.  Coburn,  Secretary  New  Jersey 
State  Committee: 

"Your  recent  pamphlet  strikes  a  note  greatly  needed  in  this 
careless,  pushing,  pleasure-loving  age.  I  want  you  to  know 
that  I  sympathize  with  your  point  of  view. 

"It  is  wonderful  to  be  able  to  love  one  another  and  to  pray 
in  confidence  for  one  another,  scattered  as  we  are  all  over  this 
great  busy  world." 

From  Fred  B.  Smith: 

"You  ought  to  be  a  happy  man  in  contemplation  of  the 
great  work  you  have  done  and  of  that  which  will  go  on  for 
many,  many  years  by  reason  of  your  generosity.  You  have 
cheered  thousands,  may  God's  favor  bring  you  constant  cheer. 
I  expect  to  share  heaven's  joy  with  you  after  a  while." 

From  John  J.  Gartshore,  Canadian  National 
Council : 

"With  kindest  regards  for  another  'old  fellow'  in  Associa- 
tion service." 

From  F.  Wayland  Ayer,  President  Camden,  N.  J., 
Association : 

"I  congratulate  you,  not  alone  on  the  anniversary  of  your 
birth  but  on  the  fact  that  you  have  kept  in  touch  with  the 


"THE  HAPPIEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      221 

young  men  of  the  Association  Brotherhood  and  have,  in  so 
many  ways  for  so  many  years,  been  an  inspiration  to  those  of 
us  who  have  not  been  privileged  to  spend  so  many  years  as 
yet  in  the  service." 

From  W.  M.  Kingsloy,  Chairman  West  Side  Branch, 

New  Y'ork,  and  Cluiirman  New  York  State  Committee: 

"I  send  you  my  affectionate  greetings  and  best  wishes  on 
this  anniversary  day.  Every  Y.  M.  C.  A.  man  is  indebted  to 
you,  even  if  he  does  not  know  it,  for  all  the  splendid  work  you 
have  done  in  making  the  Association  movement  so  strong 
and  vigorous." 

From  C.  M.  Copeland,  Secretai'y  Canadian  National 

Council : 

"Not  only  have  you  been  enabled  to  do  much  during  your 
span  of  life,  but  what  you  have  done  will  live  after  you  and 
bear  fruit  during  all  the  years  to  come." 

From  George  J.   Fisher,   M.D.,  leader  in   physical 

work : 

"In  your  own  experience  and  example  you  have  demon- 
strated the  large  place  which  the  volunteer  should  take  in  this 
work  and  the  splendid  results  which  come  when  such  leader- 
ship is  given." 

From  PI  L.  Shiiey,  Dayton,  Ohio,  for  over  fifty  years 

a  national  Association  figure : 

"One  of  the  earliest  experiences  I  had  in  the  International 
Committee  was  the  kindly  interest  you  showed  in  a  youngster 
just  learning  to  work  as  a  layman.  And  I  shall  always  recall 
with  pleasure  your  thoughtfulness  on  more  than  one  occasion 
through  these  years." 

From  E.  T.  Bates,  Secretary  Emeritus,  Connecticut : 

"The  splendid  buildings  which  you  have  caused  to  be 
erected  will  always  stand  as  monuments  to  your  faith  in  the 
Association  movement,  and  upon  the  occasion  of  your  birth- 
day you  can  look  back  with  much  satisfaction  to  the  great 
work  which  you  have  done  during  these  many  years  in  which 
God  has  spared  you  to  serve  Him." 


222  JAMES  STOKES— nONEER 

From  S.  M.  Sayford,  evangelist : 

"You  have  wrought  well  along  the  pathway  of  your  three- 
score and  fourteen  years.  Many  Christian  activities  have  been 
accelerated  by  your  wise  and  generous  cooperation." 

From  A.  S.  Newman,  a  fellow-New  York  Director : 

"You  have  sown  precious  seed,  and  you  have  seen  results 
that  must  make  you  feel  there  is  something  in  life,  and  God 
has  been  with  you.  You  have  been  an  inspiration  to  so  many 
of  us." 

From  D.  H.  McAlpin,  member  International  Com- 
mittee : 

"You  are  so  identified  with  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  Association  movement  that  your  absence  at  Cleveland  this 
year  brought  forth  many  expressions  of  regret.  It  would  have 
done  your  heart  good  to  have  listened  to  the  addresses  by  the 
foreign  secretaries  and  you  would  have  been  especially  pleased 
with  the  reports  from  Russia." 

From  John  B.  Carse,  Director  New  York  City  Asso- 
ciation : 

"It  has  been  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  have  been  associated 
with  you  for  so  many  years  on  the  Board  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
in  which  work  you  have  done  so  much  good." 

From  George  B.  Hodge,  Secretary  International 
Committee : 

"We  are  glad  to  pay  our  humble  tribute  to  a  man  who  has 
borne  leading  responsibilities  of  both  national  and  interna- 
tional character  for  these  past  fifty  years  of  the  Committee's 
service. 

"Your  printed  letter  of  fatherly  counsel,  sent  to  the  brother- 
hood just  before  the  Convention,  carried  with  it  a  kind  of 
benediction  and  sterling  vigorous  advice  and  counsel,  the 
value  of  which  is  beyond  estimate." 

From  W.  A.  Patton,  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad: 

"You  have  done  so  much  good  work  for  others  in  your  life- 
time, and  have  so  long  enjoyed  the  fellowship  of  those  who 
have  been  active  in  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 


"TUE  nAPPlKST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      22.', 

Association,  that  I  wish  to  express  my  appreciation  of  your 
faithful  service  in  this  direction,  and  also  to  extend  to  you, 
upon  behalf  of  our  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Department  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  Philadelphia,  our  hearty  congratulations." 

From  Albeit  E.  Roberts,  International  Secretary, 
Count}'  Work : 

"We  men  who  are  younger  cannot  thank  the  men  like  your- 
selves who  laid  the  foundations,  in  any  adequate  way,  but  we 
have  consecrated  our  lives  and  the  best  that  we  have  in  us  to 
the  service  of  the  Great  Master  in  this  field  of  endeavor. 

"I  have  often  thought  that  the  men  like  yourself  who 
sacrificed  time  and  prayer  in  the  early  days  must  find  their 
greatest  joy  in  seeing  the  influence  of  this  work  extended  to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth." 

From  Cleveland  A.  Dunn,  Chairman  Bowery  Branch, 
New  York : 

"My  contact  with  you  during  the  several  years  I  have  been 
on  the  New  York  City  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Association 
has  shown  me  that  there  are  men  who  have  the  courage  of 
their  convictions  and  are  earnest  and  constant  in  purpose." 

From  Harry  E.  Edmonds,  Secretary  Student  Asso- 
ciations, New  Y'ork : 

"Your  name  was  cheered,  at  the  recent  International  Con- 
vention at  Cleveland,  as  one  of  the  great  pioneers  in  the  Asso- 
ciation Movement.  I  am  one  of  those  who  rejoice  in  the  firm 
stand  which  you  have  always  taken  in  reference  to  the  essen- 
tials to  be  pursued  by  the  Association,  and  I  think  you  can  be 
assured  that  the  leaders,  particularly  Dr.  Mott  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  him,  are  very  earnest  in  their  desire  to  have  the 
Movement  continue  to  lay  its  primary  emphasis  on  the  deity 
of  our  Lord,  and  in  putting  the  primary  emphasis  in  all  our 
work  on  winning  men  everywhere  to  acknowledge  Him  as  their 
Lord  and  Master." 

From  W.  H.  Morriss,  General  Secretary,  Baltimore 
Association : 

"I  suppose  there  are  not  many  men  in  our  Association  work 
who   remember   those   early   days   when   you   and   McBurney, 


224  JAMES  STOKES— riONEER 

Cephas  Brainerd,  Richard  Morse,  and  a  number  of  other  vet- 
eran leaders  formed  a  coterie,  whose  deliberations  resulted  in 
the  wonderful  organization  known  as  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association.  Your  life  has  been  an  inspiration  to  so  many 
men  with  whom  you  have  been  associated  in  service. 

"We  want  you  to  know  that  none  of  this  has  been  forgotten, 
and  that  your  work  is  treasured  in  many  hearts  throughout 
the  Association  world." 

From  Dr.  Frank  K.  Sanders,  member  International 

Committee : 

"You,  Mr.  Morse,  and  Mr.  Weidensall  are  the  leaders  of  the 
exceedingly  small  number  of  the  men  who  have  given  that 
faithful  interest,  that  sane  leadership,  and  that  devoted  care 
to  the  Association  Movement,  which  has  made  it  so  real  a 
factor  in  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  young  manhood  of 
the  world." 

From  Jolm  B.  Adger,  for  many  years  a  conspicuous 
leader  of  Southern  Associations: 

"We  are  very  nearly  of  the  same  age.  I  congratulate  you 
upon  the  great  amount  of  good  which  you  have  been  able  to 
accomplish,  especially  in  the  work  in  which  we  are  both  so 
much  interested,  namely:  'The  extension  of  Christian  work 
among  the  young  men  of  the  world.'  It  means  a  great  thing 
for  the  present,  and  will  mean  a  much  greater  thing  for  the 
future  that  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation has  been  firmly  established  in  Paris,  Rome,  and  St. 
Petersburg. 

"Long  may  you  be  spared  to  the  men  of  America,  young  and 
old.  Your  recent  letter  to  the  Cleveland  Convention  was  an 
Inspiration.  May  the  Master  strengthen  you  and  walk  close 
with  you  as  the  shadows  lengthen." 

From  his  beloved  French  Branch  Directors,  New 
York  City : 

"On  the  occasion  of  your  anniversary  the  French  Branch  of 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  the  City  of  New 
York  takes  pleasure  in  recalling  how  many  years  have  borne 
proofs  of  your  good  will  to  them. 

"It  notably  recalls  how  efficacious  has  been  your  aid  in 
transforming  a  small  society  of  young  men  into  a  prosperous 


"THE  llAl'l'IEST  DAY  OF  MY  LIFE"      225 

branch  of  the  New  York  Association  now  established  in  a 
building  of  its  own,  which  the  Association  owes  to  your  initi- 
ative and  generosity.  And  as  members  of  the  great  allied 
family,  we  do  not  forget  that  the  Paris,  Rome,  and  Petrograd 
Associations  owe  their  development  to  you. 

"We  ask  God  to  keep  you  in  good  health  for  many  years  for 
the  work  that  is  so  dear  to  you  and  we  pray  you  to  accept  the 
assurance  of  our  most  devoted  sentiments." 

From  E.  M.  Willis,  International  Secretary: 

"I  shall  never  forget  the  encouragement  and  words  of  cheer 
that  you  gave  me  in  the  early  days  of  my  Association  experi- 
ence, and  I  am  sure  that  it  will  not  come  amiss  at  this  time 
to  let  you  know  how  much  I  appreciated  them." 

From  Henry  M.  Orne,  Comptroller  New  York  City 
Association : 

"You  should  be  a  happy  man  on  your  birthday  tomorrow, 
for  you  have  given  many  others  happiness  during  the  years 
that  have  gone. 

"If  you  radiate  love  in  your  life  you  receive  love  in  return. 
If  you  sympathize  with  those  in  sorrow  or  sickness  and  are 
generous  to  those  in  need,  their  sympathy  will  be  with  you 
when  shadows  cross  your  path. 

"I  well  remember  how  touched  I  was  by  a  prayer  you  offered 
twenty-seven  years  ago,  when  you  dropped  in  Mr.  McBurney's 
tower  room,  where  a  little  band  of  men  was  gathered.  Who 
can  measure  the  influence  of  a  consecrated  life?  I  thank  God 
for  yours,  and  assure  you  that  you  have  my  love  today,  tomor- 
row, and  always." 

From  Fleming  H.  Revell,  Publisher : 

"I  am  very  confident  that  your  greatest  Joy,  as  you  recount 
the  record  of  the  years  that  have  passed,  is  found  in  the  mis- 
sion of  helpfulness  that  you  have  been  prompted  so  unselfishly 
to  devote  to  the  good  of  others.  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  New  York — which  means  in  fact,  the  young 
men  of  New  York — owe  you  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  for  your 
devotion  from  the  earliest  days,  to  that  great  work  begun  in  a 
very  humble  way,  but  now  so  widespread  and  beneficent  in  all 
its  interests.  Those  who  lay  a  foundation  are  more  to  be 
praised  than  they  who  fit  the  capstone — but  yours  has  been 


226  JAMES  STOKES— PTOXEER 

the  privilege  to  be  associated  with  both,  as  well  as  throughout 
all  the  intervening  years." 

From  E.  M.  Robinson,  Boys'  Work  Leader: 

"I  think  there  are  a  great  many  more  men  in  this  country 
who  think  kindly  of  you  and  remember  with  gratitude  what 
you  have  accomplished  than  you  realize." 

From  his  friend,  G.  A.  Warburton,  General  Secre- 
tary, Toronto  Association : 

"As  you  look  back  over  your  long  and  useful  life,  how  many 
things  you  have  to  fill  your  heart  with  joy — your  friendship 
and  loyalty  to  McBurney  and  Morse;  the  great  task  that  you 
have  finished  in  so  many  cities  of  Europe,  as  well  as  at  home; 
the  great  impetus  you  gave  the  railroad  work  when  it  was 
weak  and  struggling,  to  say  nothing  of  all  the  other  relations 
of  the  work  in  New  York  City  and  the  International  Commit- 
tee. I  suppose  that  now  and  then  you,  like  all  the  rest  of  us 
upon  whom  time  is  laying  its  hand,  get  a  bit  discouraged,  but 
I  hope  you  may  constantly  find  the  fulfillment  in  your  own 
life  of  His  gracious  promise,  'At  evening  time  it  shall  be 
light'  " 

From  Frank  W.  Ober,  Editor  Association  Men: 

"On  this  day,  when  many  friends  are  saying  to  you  that  they 
rejoice  that  you  have  lived,  rejoice  that  you  are  living,  and 
rejoice,  too,  that  your  life  is  going  on  with  ever  widening  influ- 
ence the  world  over;  thank  God  for  James  Stokes,  and  that  you 
in  your  boyhood  gave  your  heart  to  Him,  and  in  your  young 
manhood  consecrated  your  life  to  His  service. 

"One  may  get  discouraged  in  a  near  view  of  a  day's  work, 
but  when  one  sees  the  cumulative  effect  of  the  work  of  years, 
one  may  indeed  thank  God  that  he  has  been  privileged  to  live 
and  pray  and  labor  and  give  of  heart  and  money  and  brain  to 
the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord. 

"Generations  hence  people  will  look  upon  your  monuments 
in  the  busy  markets  and  great  capitals  and  commercial  cen- 
ters, and  speak  of  a  man  who  loved  his  Lord  and  his  fellow- 
men  and  tried  to  serve  them  with  all  the  means  in  his  hand. 
These  monuments  will  be  in  the  eye  and  hearts  of  people  more 
than  those  erected  in  a  cemetery. 

"May  the  many  assurances  of  friendship,  good  will,  and  ap- 
preciation which  are  coming  to  you  this  day  be  a  comfort  to 


"THE   liAl'rii:ST   DAY   OK  MY   \JV\r      227 

you — it  has  been  a  joy  to  sec  with  what  eagerness  the  men 
have  written  and  to  find  on  every  hand  marks  of  the  deep 
affection  in  which  your  name  is  held." 

From  "dear  old"  C.  B.  Willis: 

"As  one  who  has  esteemed  your  friendship  for  many  years, 
I  write  to  congratulate  you  on,  not  merely  so  many  years,  but 
what  you  have,  by  the  grace  of  God,  been  able  to  put  into  them 
— for  I  know  that  you  have  really  lived  more  for  your  fellow- 
men  (and  incidentally  your  own  happiness  is  involved)  in  the 
seventy-five  years  than  some  men  would  in  two  hundred  years. 

"I  am  grateful  to  have  had  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  your 
friendship,  for  it  is  the  kind  that  will  grow  in  the  eternity 
when  we  meet  there  by  and  by." 

How  greatly  Mr.  Stokes  cherished  these  letters  from 
his  fellow-workers  and  the  friendships  cemented  in 
these  years  which  comprised  the  period  of  the  real  rise 
and  realization  of  the  organization,  is  indicated  in  this 
letter  to  C.  B.  Willis  acknowledging  his  birthday  greet- 
ing.   It  is  characteristic  and  it  is  a  benediction: 

"Who  could  forget  a  Willis,  with  their  sweet  singing  and 
their  happy  faces,  and,  above  all,  their  devotion  to  the  founda- 
tions of  our  Christian  religion  and  our  Association  system. 
If  we  go  back  on  the  Portland  Test,  if  we  go  back  on  Christ 
for  whom  we  are  named,  we  are  lost,  and  you  and  I  know  it. 

"The  terrible  exigencies  through  which  w-e  are  passing,  and 
the  magnificent  work  which  the  Association  is  doing  (much  of 
the  work  you  and  I  are  new  to),  all  indicate  the  necessity  for 
the  greatest  watchfulness,  prayer,  and  care. 

"I  do  thank  you  again,  my  dear  friend,  for  your  sweet  letter. 
T  want  your  prayers,  because  when  one  has  been  as  sick  as  I 
have  been  and  an  invalid  for  so  long  with  asthma,  and  so  forth 
(and  two  severe  illnesses  these  tw^o  winters  past),  it  is  a  time 
of  straining  of  one's  faith  and  patience  and  Christian 
character. 

"You,  too,  will  realize  this  when  you  get  to  be  my  age  and 
will  appreciate  such  recollections  as  having  done  something 
that  is  worth  while,  for  that  is  all  there  is  in  life.  This  has 
been  God's  work,  and  whilst  I  had  perhaps  nearly  the  earliest 
hand  in  getting  the  people  together,  it  has  been  young  men 
who  have  carried  it  on." 


APPENDIX 

THE  JAMES  STOKES  SOCIETY,  INCORPORATED 

To  ivhich,  by  the  v'ill  of  Mr.  ^^tokes,  his  resid- 
uary estate  exeeeditiq  $1,000,000  is  committed 
for  the  extension  and  support  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association. 

The  will  of  Mr.  James  Stokes  was  executed  Decem- 
ber 31,  1915.  It  contained  a  number  of  bequests  to 
educational  and  charitable  institutions,  and  to  his 
friends  who  were  engaged  with  him  in  work  for  young 
men.  Under  paragraph  twenty-first  of  the  will,  Mr. 
Stokes  transferred  his  interest  in  the  properties  used 
for  his  work  for  young  men  in  Petrograd,  Russia, 
Rome,  Italy,  and  Paris,  France,  to  tlie  James  Stokes 
Society.    The  provision  is  as  follows  : 

I  give  and  devise  to  the  James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated, 
a  corporation  existing  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  if  it  shall  be  entitled  to  hold  property  in  Russia  at  the 
time  of  my  death,  or  if  it  is  not  so  entitled,  then  to  my  wife, 
Florence  Chatfield  Stokes,  all  the  property  owned  by  me  in 
Petrograd,  Russia,  and  particularly  the  property  occupied  by 
the  Society  for  the  Moral,  Intellectual  and  Physical  Develop- 
ment of  Young  Men  in  said  City.  It  is  possible  that  during 
my  lifetime,  I  may  be  able  to  transfer  said  property  to  the 
James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated,  in  which  case  this  devise 
to  my  wife  will  be  of  no  effect.  It  is  my  intention  that  the  said 
devise  of  real  estate  in  Russia  to  my  wife,  shall  not  in  any  wise 
reduce  the  amounts  hereinbefore  provided  for  her,  but  shall 
be  in  addition  thereto. 

I  give  and  devise  to  the  James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated, 
a  corporation  existing  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  all  my  right,  title  and  interest  in  and  to  the  property 
occupier>  by  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  Rome, 

228 


APPENDIX  220 

Italy,  if  I  shall  have  any  such  right,  title  and  interest  at  the 
time  of  my  death. 

I  have  transferred  to  the  said  James  Stokes  Society,  Incor- 
porated, all  the  shares  of  stock  owned  or  controlled  by  me  in 
the  Societie  Anonymo  Immobiliere  de  L'Union,  of  Paris. 
France,  which,  under  French  law,  owns  the  building  No.  14 
Rue  de  Trevise,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  of  Paris.  I  hereby  confirm  said  transfer  of  said 
shares  of  stock.  I  have  no  interest  in  them  other  than  that 
which  arises  from  my  desire  for  the  well-being  and  success  of 
the  Paris  Association  and  I  mention  them  here  for  the  pur- 
pose of  authorizing  and  directing  my  executors  to  execute  fur- 
ther transfers  confirming  the  title  of  the  James  Stokes  Society, 
Incorporated,  to  the  said  shares  in  case  any  action  on  their 
part  is  necessary  for  that  purpose.  I  hope  that  if  said  shares 
or  any  part  thereof  shall  be  transferred  at  any  time  to  the  said 
Societie  in- Paris  or  to  such  trustee  or  trustees  as  said  Societie 
may  designate,  the  said  James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated, 
will  satisfy  itself  that  the  work  of  said  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  at  Paris  is  being  conducted  in  modern,  approved, 
American  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  methods.  Our 
experience  so  far  is  that  it  is  for  the  best  interests  of  all  con- 
cerned to  retain  the  shares  in  the  name  of  the  James  Stokes 
Society,  Incorporated. 

Under  paragraph  thirty-first  of  the  will  Mr.  Stokes 
gave  his  residuary  estate  to  the  James  Stokes  Society 
in  the  following  terms : 

I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  all  the  rest,  residue,  and  re- 
mainder of  my  estate,  including  any  of  the  foregoing  legacies, 
bequests,  or  devises,  which  may,  for  any  reason,  lapse  or  fail, 
and  including  any  sums  which  may  at  any  time  fall  into  my 
residuary  estate  under  the  provisions  of  this  will,  to  the  James 
Stokes  Society,  Incorporated,  a  corporation  existing  under  the 
laws  of  the  State  of  New  York,  to  invest  and  reinvest  the  same 
and  collect  the  rents,  issues,  and  profits  thereof  and  apply  the 
income  in  such  proportion  as  shall  seem  wnse  in  promoting 
and  sustaining  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  in 
Europe  and  the  Russian  Empire,  or  organizations  there  which 
have  been  founded  by  me,  prosecuting  their  work  upon  the 
methods  and  upon  the  Protestant  evangelical  undenominational 
basis  now  recognized  by  the  International  Committee  of  Young 
Men's  Christian  Associations,  or  as  I  am  prosecuting  my  work 


230  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

there.  This  income  is  to  be  employed  for  said  work  in  coun- 
tries occupied  by  the  Latin  and  Russian  races,  and  for  the 
benefit  and  advancement  of  such  races;  but  its  application  Is 
not  to  be  limited  to  those  races,  in  case  said  Society  finds  that 
it  cannot  justly  be  so  employed;  in  such  event,  it  may  be  em- 
ployed in  other  European  countries,  and  if  the  total  income 
of  the  funds  passini?  to  said  Society  under  this  will  shall 
exceed  the  sum  of  thirty  thousand  (30,000)  dollars  in  any  year, 
then  some  portion  of  such  excess  may  be  employed  in  prose- 
cuting the  said  work  in  the  countries  of  South  America.  Some 
part  of  the  income  of  said  fund  may  be  expended,  in  the  dis- 
cretion of  said  Society,  in  educating  Association  secretaries 
for  foreign  countries,  at  the  Association  Training  Schools,  but 
I  direct  that  no  portion  thereof  be  expended  in  educating  sec- 
retaries at  the  training  school  at  Springfield,  Massachusetts. 
In  this  connection,  I  cordially  approve  of  the  fellowship  plan 
of  education  of  secretaries,  introduced  by  Mr.  C.  K.  Ober,  one 
of  the  secretaries  of  said  International  Committee.  I  suggest 
also  that  some  part  be  expended  through  the  Central  Interna- 
tional Committee  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association, 
now  located  at  Geneva,  Switzerland,  if,  in  the  opinion  of  said 
Society,  the  work  of  said  World's  Committee  is  prosecuted 
upon  the  methods  and  upon  the  Protestant  evangelical  unde- 
nominational basis  now  recognized  by  said  International 
Committee. 

Some  of  said  income,  in  the  discretion  of  said  Society,  may 
be  applied  to  said  work  through  the  National  Committee  of 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  in  France.  Some  of  said 
income  may  be  employed,  in  the  discretion  of  said  Society,  for 
the  prosecution  of  the  local  work  of  the  Paris  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  some  may  be  employed  for  work 
in  Spain,  if  said  Society  deems  best. 

Some  of  said  income  may  be  expended,  in  the  discretion  of 
said  Society,  in  employing  American  secretaries  for  the  work 
specified.  In  connection  with  all  bequests  under  this  para- 
graph, I  desire  that  the  income  shall  be  applied  only  to  work 
which  is  conducted  in  modern  and  approved  American  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  methods. 

Said  Society  may,  in  its  discretion,  use,  not  to  exceed,  the 
sum  of  twenty  thousand  (20,000)  dollars  of  said  principal  sum 
toward  the  payment  of  the  mortgage  now  upon  the  property 
of  the  Societie  Anonyme,  of  Paris,  France;  or  to  aid  in  the 
construction  of  a  new  building  upon  the  front  portion  of  the 
lots  now  occupied  by  it,  or  to  secure  another  building  else- 
where in  Paris,  such  payments  to  be  made  during  the  lives  of 


APPENDIX  2ni 

F.  Louis  Sladc  and  Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  Jr.,  or  the  survivor 
of  them. 

I  authorize  said  Society,  in  its  discretion,  to  use,  not  to 
exceed,  twenty  thousand  (20,000)  dollars  of  said  principal 
sum  in  the  purchase  of  property  or  erection  of  a  building  for 
the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  Rome, 
Italy,  or  in  some  other  part  of  said  country,  said  purchase  to 
be  made  in  connection  with  the  present  property  of  said  Asso- 
ciation in  Rome,  or  its  proceeds  or  otherwise,  as  said  Society 
shall  deem  best.  Such  purchase  or  erection  shall,  however, 
be  made  within  the  lives  of  F.  Louis  Slade  and  Anson  Phelps 
Stokes,  Jr.,  or  the  survivor  of  them. 

I  authorize  said  Society,  in  its  discretion,  to  use  annually, 
not  to  exceed,  five  thousand  (5,000)  dollars  of  the  Income  of 
said  fund  for  the  relief  of  retired,  deserving,  and  needy  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  secretaries.  And  it  is  my  desire 
that  the  secretaries  who  receive  the  benefit  of  such  instruction 
or  relief  shall  be  men  sound  in  the  faith,  conforming  to  the 
sentiments  of  our  present  Portland  basis  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  believing  in  the  divine  inspiration  and 
the  final  and  ultimate  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  the  Trinity, 
and  the  Deity  of  Christ,  and  the  doctrine  of  the  complete  atone- 
ment for  sin  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  and  in  His 
immaculate  conception.  I  require  this  proviso  because  of  pres- 
ent unfortunate  conditions  in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation in  certain  localities. 

I  hope  that  a  large  fund  will  be  established  for  the  relief 
of  tired,  deserving,  and  needy  Association  secretaries,  and  I 
authorize  said  Society,  in  its  discretion,  to  contribute  to  such 
fund  not  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  (100,000)  dollars 
out  of  the  amount  by  my  will  bequeathed  to  said  Society,  pro- 
vided that  at  least  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  ($500,000) 
shall  be  raised  for  said  fund  within  five  years  after  my  death, 
and  provided  that  the  beneficiaries  of  said  fund  shall  be  men 
whose  beliefs  shall  conform  to  the  above  specified  statement 
of  faith. 

It  is  my  desire  that  the  sums  I  have  bequeathed  to  said 
James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated,  or  the  mortgages  or 
securities  in  which  they  shall  be  legally  invested,  shall  be 
placed  in  the  custody  and  charge  of  a  standard  trust  company 
in  the  City  of  New  York  and  kept  in  a  safe  deposit  vault  with 
two  different  combination  locks,  one  lock  controlled  by  said 
trust  company  and  the  other  by  the  trustees  of  said  Society, 
in  such  manner  that  it  shall  be  necessary  for  the  authorized 
legal  representative  of  such  trust  company  and  the  treasurer 


232  J A:\IER  STOKES— riONEER 

or  at  least  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  said  Society,  duly  ap- 
pointed by  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  purpose,  to  be  present 
when  the  vault  is  opened  and  the  securities  examined,  and  also 
that  said  trust  company  shall  keep  a  record  of  all  names  of 
visitors  and  dates  of  the  visits  to  said  safe  deposit  vault  and 
the  changes  in  the  contents  thereof,  said  record  to  be  open 
to  inspection  by  any  of  said  trustees  at  all  times.  Any  expense 
of  retaining  such  funds  in  the  custody  of  such  trust  company 
shall  be  a  charge  upon  the  income  thereof.  My  reason  for  this 
provision  has  already  been  given  in  reference  to  the  bequests 
to  the  New  York  University. 

It  is  my  desire  that  the  James  Stokes  Society,  Incorporated, 
shall  confer  with  the  representatives  of  the  International  Com- 
mittee of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations,  Foreign  Depart- 
ment, concerning  matters  of  discretion  to  be  exercised  by  said 
Society  under  the  terms  of  this  will,  but  the  final  decision 
upon  such  matters  is  to  rest  with  said  Society.  I  also  express 
the  hope  that  said  Society  will  keep  in  close  touch  with  the 
work  of  said  International  Committee,  and  that  a  large  portion 
of  the  income  of  the  funds  hereby  bequeathed  to  said  Society 
may  be  disbursed  for  the  purposes  set  forth  in  this  will  pur- 
suant to  the  terms  and  conditions  named  therein,  through  the 
said  Foreign  Department  of  the  said  International  Committee 
or  through  the  channels  used  by  said  Foreign  Department  in 
the  conduct  of  its  work.  I  hope  said  Society  will  bear  in  mind 
that  my  first  interest  has  always  been  in  the  organizations 
which  I  have  founded  in  Europe. 

I  desire  that  the  work  for  which  the  fund  is  hereby  created 
shall  be  consecrated  and  used  to  and  for  the  furtherance  of 
the  Christian  doctrines  of  the  complete  atonement  for  sin 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  once  offered,  and  that  secre- 
taries and  teachers  may  be  selected  who  are  sound  in  the  faith, 
believing  in  the  divine  inspiration  and  authority  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, the  Trinity,  and  the  Deity  of  Christ. 

The  executors  appointed  under  the  will  were  Mrs. 
Stokes  and  The  Farmers'  Loan  and  Trust  Company  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  and  the  settlement  of  the  estate 
had  been  practically  completed  a  few  weeks  before  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Stokes  on  August  28,  1920. 

The  James  Stokes  Society  was  incorporated  by  a 
special  Act  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York, 


APPEND  rx  23a 

which  bocnmo  a  law  on  March  1!),  1915.  The  Act  of 
the  Legishitnre  appears  as  Chapter  1)4  of  the  Laws  of 
11)15  of  tlie  State  of  New  York  as  follows : 

An  Act  to  Incouporatk  tiil:  Jamks  Stokes   Society 

The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate 
and  Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows: 

Section  1.  James  Stokes,  Florence  Chatfield  Stokes,  Franklin 
A.  Gaylord,  John  C.  Clark,  William  D.  Murray,  and  their  suc- 
cessors, are  hereby  constituted  a  body  corporate  by  the  name 
of  James  Stokes  Society  for  the  purpose  of  the  establishment, 
maintenance,  conduct,  and  management  of  work  and  facilities 
for  the  moral,  intellectual,  and  physical  development  of  young 
men  in  the  Empire  of  Russia  and  elsewhere,  including  main- 
tenance of  reading  rooms,  lectures,  social  meetings,  gymnastic 
halls,  tea  rooms,  and  such  other  means  as  shall  conduce  to  the 
accomplishment  of  these  objects,  and  for  the  purpose  of  assist- 
ing, as  far  as  the  Society  finds  it  possible,  such  institutions  as 
the  "Mayak"  in  Russia  and  similar  organizations  elsewhere. 

Section  2.  Said  corporation  hereby  formed  shall  have  power 
to  take  and  hold  by  wills  or  by  deeds,  by  bequest,  devise,  gift, 
purchase,  or  lease,  either  absolutely  or  in  trust  for  any  of  its 
purposes,  any  property,  real  or  personal,  including  freehold 
property,  without  limitation  as  to  amount  or  value  (except 
such  limitation,  if  any,  as  the  legislature  may  hereafter 
impose),  to  lease,  rent,  mortgage,  transfer,  or  convey  the  same, 
and  to  invest  and  reinvest  the  principal  and  income  thereof, 
and  to  deal  with  and  expend  the  principal  and  income  of  the 
corporation  in  such  manner  as  in  the  judgment  of  the  trustees 
will  best  promote  its  objects.  The  financial  resources  of  the 
Society  may  consist  in  (1)  annual  membership  dues,  the 
amount  of  which  shall  be  specified  in  the  manner  provided  in 
the  constitution;  (2)  sums  paid  by  people  who  profit  by  the 
institutions  and  services  of  the  Society;  (.3)  revenues  derived 
from  the  property  of  the  Society;  (4)  gifts  in  aid  of  the  Soci- 
ety, which  gifts  may  be  made  by  living  donors  or  by  wills.  The 
said  corporation  shall  have  all  the  powers,  and  be  subject  to 
all  the  restrictions  which  now  pertain  by  the  laws  of  the  State 
of  New  York  to  membership  corporations,  in  so  far  as  the  same 
are  applicable  thereto  and  are  not  inconsistent  with  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act. 

Section  3.  The  persons  named  in  the  first  section  of  this  act 
shall  constitute  the  organizing  members  of  the  corporation, 
and   shall  be  its  first  board   of  trustees.     Such  persons   so 


234  JAMES  STOKES— PIONEER 

named,  or  a  majority  of  them,  shall  hold  a  meeting  and  or- 
ganize the  corporation  and  adopt  a  constitution.  Such  consti- 
tution shall  prescribe  the  qualifications  and  manner  of  election 
of  members,  the  number  of  members  who  shall  constitute  a 
quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business  at  meetings  of  the 
corporation,  the  number  of  trustees  by  whom  the  business  and 
affairs  of  the  corporation  shall  be  managed,  the  qualifications, 
powers,  terms  of  office,  and  manner  of  selection  of  the  trustees 
and  oflScers  of  the  corporation,  the  method  of  amending  the 
constitution,  and  all  other  provisions  for  the  regulation  of  the 
affairs  of  the  corporation  and  the  management  and  disposition 
of  its  property,  which  may  be  deemed  expedient. 

Section  4.  Meetings  of  the  Society  may  be  held  at  such  times 
and  places  as  the  members  shall  determine.  In  case  of  the 
dissolution  of  said  Society,  the  trustees  shall  dispose  of  the 
property  of  the  Society  in  conformity  with  the  decision  of  a 
general  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Society  and  pursuant 
to  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

Section  5.  The  corporation  hereby  formed  is  not  established 
and  shall  not  be  maintained  or  conducted  for  pecuniary  profit, 
or  for  the  pecuniary  profit  of  its  members,  and  no  member  of 
the  corporation  shall  be  entitled  to  or  shall  receive  any  such 
profit;  provided,  however,  that  reasonable  compensation  may 
be  paid  to  an  oflScer  or  member  for  services  actually  rendered 
to  the  corporation. 

Section  6.    This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 

Mr.  James  Stokes  was  president  of  the  James  Stokes 
Society  until  lie  died  on  October  4,  11)18,  and  thereafter 
Mrs.  Stokes  was  president  of  the  Society  until  her 
death.  The  president  of  the  Society  who  succeeded 
Mrs.  Stokes  is  Judge  John  C.  Clark,  who  was  for  many 
years  the  intimate  friend  and  legal  adviser  of  Mr. 
James  Stokes.  Judge  Clark  was  a  Director  of  the  New 
York  City  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  for  over 
twenty-five  years  and  is  now  a  trustee  of  that  Associa- 
tion, and  also  a  trustee  of  the  International  Committee 
of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations.  The  other 
trustees  of  the  James  Stokes  Society  at  the  present 
time  are  Dr.  eTohn  R.  Mott,  Mr.  Franklin  A.  Gaylord, 


APPENIHX  2?,:^ 

who  represented  the  work  in  which  Mr.  Stokes  was  in- 
terested in  Kiissiii.  Mr.  I-'rederick  P.  Woodrufl",  who 
was  for  more  than  twenty-six  years  the  friend  and  sec- 
retary of  Mr.  Stokes,  and  Mr.  William  (Jordon  Mur- 
phy, Jr.,  who  was  one  of  Mr.  Stokes's  personal  counsel. 
The  oltice  of  the  James  Stokes  Society  is  at  No.  149 
Broadway,  New  York  City. 


DATE  DUE 

'^L  3     1^ 

m 

julH>4 

I'V^B 

CAVLONO 

1    1012  01044  8878 


